March 3, 2017 by The Rye City Review

RyeCity REVIEW THE

March 3, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 9 | www.ryecityreview.com

School budget projects $1.8M spending increase By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer

Sanctuary County? Supporters at a recent rally in downtown White Plains protest President Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban. In response to the ban, Westchester County lawmakers have proposed a policy on immigration enforcement. For story, see page 6. Photo/Franco Fino

Rye teachers, school district settle contract negotiations By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer After working for nearly two years without a new contract, the Rye Teachers Association has come to terms on a deal with the Rye City School District’s Board of Education. The agreement, which is retroactive, will cover the term beginning July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2018. The teachers union’s previous contract had expired on June 30, 2015. Board of Education President Katy Keohane Glassberg said, “I’m thrilled that we were able

to come to an agreement that is fair for both teachers and the community.” The new deal does not include any change or offer any retroactive payment for the 2014-2015 school year, but union members will receive an incremental pay raise of $1,000 for each step increase during the 2016-2017 schedule. A teacher receives an increase in their pay for reaching the next “step” in their career, maxing out in their potential salary after reaching an 18th step. For 2017-2018, a new salary schedule was created in which the value of each incremental

step from 2 through 18 will be reduced by 25 percent on July 1, 2017. If the incremental cost between those steps equates to $2,000, the incremental cost will be reduced by $500. However, teachers agreed to a $750 increase to take effect on July 1, 2017. Members of the union also agreed to eliminate and replace step 1 with a 19th step, which will add 1.5 percent to the existing step 18 of the contract for the 2017-2018 year. Glassberg told the Review that since the school district rarely hires entry-level teachers,

having a step 1 is unnecessary. As part of the contract, which was ratified on Feb. 7 by the Board of Education, members of the teachers union who worked the entire 2015-2016 school year will receive a one-time payment of $1,000, which is not part of the change in the salary schedule. Members who retired on June 30, 2016, and those that worked the entire school year, but were on a board-approved unpaid leave of absence during the 2016-2017 school year and are eligible to return to work CONTRACT continued on page 8

The Rye City School District superintendent presented a proposed budget last month that would use $2.1 million from the reserve fund to help balance the 2017-2018 budget that calls for a 2.19 percent increase in spending. While managing to remain under the state-mandated tax cap, the draft budget calls for $86.9 million in spending. The estimated tax levy increase is 2.64 percent. The reserve fund currently stands at approximately $12.1 million, which is 14 percent of the 2016-2017 school year budget, and is only proposed to be reduced by a percentage point with the use of additional reserves, as outlined by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Monahan. The budget will help the school district remain qualified for an Aaa bond rating, which typically calls for a school district’s reserves to be around 10 percent of its total annual budget. The proposed budget also would preserve all current school programs and add 11.4 positions, including two positions for the English as a New Language program, which offers non-native speakers the opportunity to improve their English language skills, as well as a psychologist to accommodate both regular and special

needs students. Additionally, there are four positions designated for dealing with enrollment to help the school district manage a growing influx of students, and two positions for the art, music, physical education and FLES Spanish programs. The school district also budgeted for a full-time security position to help manage the growing student body. “The most important part of this is that the budget maintains all the educational programs while also being tax cap compliant,” said Board of Education President Katy Keohane Glassberg. “That’s what matters most to people.” Monahan added that with the new budgeted positions, the school district will be able to better handle the growing rate of student enrollment, which has steadily increased since the 2007-2008 school year in which 2,996 students were enrolled in Rye schools. The projected student enrollment for the 2017-2018 year is 3,467. Monahan said that, while the school district is not anticipating an increase in enrollment come September, the Board of Education is definitely worried that it may escalate in the future. “That’s always on the superintendent’s mind,” Monahan said. “People tend to move to Rye in the summer, sometimes BUDGET continued on page 8