The Oswego Board of Education met Thursday to discuss the budget for the first time since it was defeated last week, opting to increase the tax rate and reinstate nine positions into the budget.

Under the revised budget, the tax rate increase will rise from 3.81 percent to 5.72 percent. However, that slight increase covers the added staff.

Voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on the issue, from noon to 9 p.m., June 17, during a public vote.

The amended $67,126,271 budget was passed with a 6-0 vote. Board vice president Sally Nettles was absent from the workshop.

At the elementary level, two art teachers, two music teachers, one physical education teacher and one librarian will be reinstated if the amended budget is passed.

According to head of curriculum and instruction, Cathy Chamberlain, and Mary Volkomer, principal of Kingsford Park, for the current elementary schedule for music, art and gym to stay as is, the two art, music and one physical education teacher all need to be reinstated.

One technology teacher would continue to be employed at the Oswego Middle School and three part-time monitors would still work at the high school.

Throughout the meeting, board members offered up their opinions and comments from the community as to why the first budget failed.

“People I talked to on the street voted no because of taxes. People who e-mailed me voted no because of cuts,” said board president Maggie Tiballi. “We’re pretty much 50/50 and no matter what you do, people are going to be angry.”

Board member Jim Tschudy believed that budget was shot down because of cuts. He did note that there would always be some people who will vote “no” because of any increase in taxes and that many are frustrated with the status of the economy.

“I think there were a significant number of people concerned with the cuts that we made,” he said. “I think this allows us to say we are making this decision for the children at the expense of the taxpayers.”

Member Fred Maxon believes that voters did not support the budget because of the tax rate increase. “I can’t see raising taxes as much as we have discussed tonight,” Maxon said Thursday. “Every cup of coffee I stop for I’m getting feedback on the tax rate.”

Maxon was also opposed to reinstating the nine positions. Instead he wanted to go with recommendations given by the elementary principals in April. This would include reinstating one elementary classroom teacher, one elementary guidance counselor and two librarians. This would equal out to an additional tax rate increase of 1 percent.

Dave White said the tax rate increases and budget issues the district and community are facing are not a one-time shot, but will continue to be an issue in the coming years.
“I think we have to decide sometime in the near future, what is more important to us?” White said. “That we have coaches, and I’m not criticizing that, or is it more important to us that we have people in the classrooms teaching?”

Sean Madden suggested for next year a long-term plan be instated for that year’s and also  future budgets. “Maybe we need to start planning for the budget before December or January,” he said.

Maxon agreed with this idea. “We should really be looking next year at our expenditures because that is something we can control.” He also noted he would be willing to sit down with Madden or form a committee to do so.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Pete Colucci pointed out that when the budget process began, administrators and department heads were asked to cut $2 million out of last year’s “status-quo” budget.

As for the amended budget going for a revote, he said, “We would still be offering up a budget that is $1.3 million less than a status-quo budget. Depending on your opinion, this may be fiscally responsible.” 

Colucci noted it would still have an impact on taxpayers and employees because people are still losing their jobs.