January 21, 2005

Dear Students, Staff and Families:

This was a very difficult week for the district as we "rolled up our sleeves" and met with the Board of Education to take the first steps in planning next year's budget. Like any budget you begin with preliminary estimates of revenues and any anticipated increases in costs. When the general public reads newspaper headlines with comments such as Record Amount of School Aid to Education it would appear that we have little to complain about. Those headlines are misleading at least for Duanesburg and districts like ours. For example, our operating aid increases in the last three years have not kept up with the level of inflation. The Governor's budget that was reported in the Gazette this week indicates that Duanesburg will receive an aid package with less than 1% additional aid next year. Does that sound like record aid? Cost of living increases that are estimated in the 3% range are worrisome alone. When you factor in additional costs out of control of the district such as health care and mandated state pension funds it's clear that we are in for a tough budget year.

The Board of Education over the last two years has worked hard to control costs and put together a budget that increased average tax rates within the 3-4+% range while other area districts approached or exceeded double digit tax rate increases. Why am I writing this letter? For one simple reason, the Board of Education will be making some hard decisions over the next two months putting together our budget for next year. They will balance issues of educational quality with the community's ability to pay. Your voice is important. Please attend Board meetings, speak with school officials, stay informed by reading our web page and most of all communicate your sentiments to the district. 

Posted on the district web page are two power point presentations. The Accountability Report basically indicates that district students are performing well above expected NY State Standards. The Preliminary Budget Report provides a few basic beliefs that guide the district in budget planning and summarizes our concerns over revenues and rising costs. 

As challenging as this upcoming budget appears I have confidence that this Board of Education and district staff will find a way to maintain educational quality and provide a school budget that our community will support. Please stay involved!

Sincerely,

Mark Villanti, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

January 10, 2005

Dear Students, Staff and Families:

Someone recently asked me "how will you be able to make decisions about weather if you live outside of the district?" That's a fair question. A one-word answer would simply be technology. Years ago a superintendent might travel the local roads at an early hour to determine conditions. In fact, I know several dozen superintendents and none of them make weather related decisions from their car or simply looking out of their living room window.

Technology has added the following advantages:

• Doppler radar and other meteorological reports that can be accessed from my computer at home.

• Mobile phones which allow me to talk to our transportation director who in turn speaks with county and town highway crews for up-to-the-minute real time weather information and the actual condition of our roadways.

• The web allows me to access the Internet and issue school closings or delays in an instant and transmit that information to all major media in the Capital District.

• This year we are subscribing to an emergency phone service that can dial all staff and parent phone numbers in seconds from a location in the Midwest.

Of course technology is only as good as the person who uses the information to make decisions. The buck stops with the superintendent. So if you are mad because school is open or closed it is not technology, which is to blame, it's my judgment. 

Sincerely,
Mark Villanti, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

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