March 20, 2009

March 3= 1, 2009

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The Mine Hill Board of Education and administration presented a proposed budget for the 2009-2010 school year at the March 30 meeting. We were pleased to have a handful = of public in attendance, but for everyone’s benefit the presentation (in PowerPoint) can be found on the Canfield Avenue School website (go to the Board of Education link on the left-side of the page = 211; www.minehillsch.org/board = - and click on “2009-10 Budget Presentation – PowerPoint).” We will also be distributing budget highlights through a future edition of Neighbor News.

· Total budget: $8,555,318 (an increase of 0.0= 2%)

· Additional School Choice Aid e= nables us to reduce local taxpayers’ share of the necessary funds by $42,553. When combined with t= he tax levy reduction from last year, the result is a decrease in school tax of $77 for the average Mine Hill homeowner in 2009.

· Instructional aides remain in the budget for= the lower grades; other staff reductions are enabled through changes in enrollm= ent (Grade 6, Special Education teachers).

· We continue to improve and repair the school facility through a fire alarm system upgrade (requested by the Mine Hill Fi= re Department); repair to the heating and ventilating system in the old wing; renovation of sub-standard boys’ and girls’ lavatories in the o= ld wing.

Please = remind your neighbors that this is the fourth consecutive year in which the school district is asking our taxpayers for flat or reduced local school tax levy. In fact, examining the official Mine Hill School Distric= t budget data as published in the Daily Record reveals the following trends f= rom the 2007-2008 budget through this proposed 2009-2010 budget:

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· The total budget has increased 9.8%. The increase is driven by capital expenditures (facility improvement projects) = and support services.

· During this time period, the local tax levy has declined by 3.9% ($225,000).

· The local share of revenue to educate our children has declined from 76% in 2007-08 to 67%. This has been enabled by increases= in School Choice Aid, and our strategy of seeking outside sources of revenue (including leasing classroom space).

During this time, Canfield Avenue School has

Ø been able to afford an experienced administrative team through sharing these services

Ø improved delivery of instruction through a full-time principal, and a guidance counselor to proactively serve the need= s of our changing school demographics

Ø improved and main= tained the facility through partnership with the Mine Hill Educational Foundation = and capital projects without borrowing = money!

= Ø been recognized b= y the State Department of Education as a “high performing district” through the Quality Single Accountability Continuum – a rigorous new monitoring and audit process that measures performance in delivery of instruction, fiscal management and governance (management).

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Through community support, the Mine Hill School District has succeeded in improving our school, while requiring less from our taxpayers to do so!

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This is= an achievement that the State says is not possible for small school districts!=

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So plea= se remember to VOTE and support yo= ur school on April 21!

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Respect= fully,

Paul Breda

Board President