1. Pulling the Pieces Back Together:
Safety, Space & Solvency Top Budget Priorities
March 5, 2014 Board of Education Meeting
Superintendent’s
Recommended 2014-15 Budget
Ray Sanchez, Superintendent of Schools
Alita McCoy Zuber, Assistant Superintendent for Business

2. 2013-14 OUFSD Accomplishments
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Daniel Scanteianu(OHS) 2014 National
Merit Scholarship Competition Finalist
Brookside Principal, Ann Dealy,
Awarded Raymond Delaney Scholarship
from NYS Council of School
Superintendents
AP Scholars (28), Scholars with Honors
(10), Scholars with Distinction (18)
6 Fall Scholar Athlete Teams
District Awarded STLE 2 Grant for
$537,625
Three Intel Semi-Finalists
Three Rotary Employees of the Year
Jessica Chambers (OHS) 2014 National
Achievement Scholarship Competition
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Finalist
18 Students Attend All-County Chorus
Jalay Knowles (OHS) Sports Illustrated’s
“Faces in the Crowd”
District is now on Instagram. Follow us
@oufsd
Grand Reopening of OHS Auditorium
Claremont Library Receives Renovations
Thanks to Ossining MATTERS
AMD takes part in National Writing Day
OHS Student Newspaper, The Current, is
now fully online
Park Teacher Vanessa Santos Named
LoHud’s Educator of the Week

3. Budget Strategies
• Avoid educational insolvency by continuing advocacy
efforts to increase Foundation Aid that Ossining is legally
entitled to receive, which is projected to be an additional
$7M in 2014-15.
• Continue to maintain transparency through surveys,
informational meetings and Community Budget Advisory
Committee efforts.
• Continue to evaluate opportunities for sustainable budget
savings and slowing expenditure growth.
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4. Survey reveals teacher-student ratio,
classroom space & safety very
important community priorities.
During last year’s budget discussions
many community members believed
OUFSD is at the “Tipping Point on the
Educational Solvency Continuum”*
Deliberation during Puzzling
Priorities activity at 2.26.14 BOE
meeting helped the District to see
HOW members compromised to reach
consensus on priorities.
* NYSCOSS definition of Tipping Point as “Systemic erosion of capacity due to
fiscal constraints without structural redesign resulting in the elimination of
mandated & non-mandated programs”
OUFSD Community
Budget Priorities

5. Superintendent’s 2014-15
Proposed Budget Priorities
Solvency:
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•
•
•
•
Space:
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Increase classroom space & improve
delivery of instruction & student
support services in Roosevelt, Park &
Claremont Schools by moving
administrative and storage spaces
Readiness for Governor’s recent Pre-K
budget proposal.
Safer environment when principal’s
office is relocated & administrative
office visitors are eliminated.
Pre-K -12 class sizes aligned with Board
Policy; considers enrollment projections
Modified Sports recovered
Related Services unchanged
Library Media Specialists reinstated
AMD after-school programs maintained
Safety:
•
•
Cameras & new camera system throughout
the District to help improve emergency
response efforts, face-recognition and
accessibility outside of the District.
Software designed to expedite the lock-down
process using automatic features to secure
the building and aid in alerting people
outside of the building that a lock-down is
in place and identifying lock-down
emergency.

6. Table 2 PROJECTED
Elementary Schools Enrollment and Staffing
(Not Including Self-Contained Special Education)
2014-2015 School Year
Grade
Class
Size
Policy
Aspirational
Goal
Current
Enrollment
10/2/13
Current
Staffin
g
Average
Class
Size
Projected
Enrollment
Sept. 2014
Projected
Staffing
Sept. 2014
Projected
Average
Class Size
PreK
18
16-18
252
7
18.0
252
7
18.0
K
18-20 17-18
(19)
353
17
20.8
349
17
20.5
1
20-22 17-18
(19)
387
17
22.8
361
16
22.6
2
22-24 18-19
(25)
(20)
368
16
23
386
16
24.1
3
22-24 19-20
(25)
(21)
357
15
23.8
372
15
24.8
4
24-26 20-22
(27)
(23)
341
14
24.4
360
15
24
5
24-26 22-24
(27)
(25)
357
14
25.5
345
14
24.6
2,415
100
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2,425
100
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Total
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7. Projected and Current Enrollment
This
Year
Projected Range
(2014 – 2023)
Park (w/o Pre-K)
360
333 - 357
Brookside
765
671 - 748
Claremont
728
Roosevelt
357
337 – 382*
AMD
998
1,038 – 1,158*
OHS
1,270
1,285 – 1,612
School
.
698 – 773*

8. Benefits of moving District Offices & Records
from Elementary Schools…..
Free Up
Space
Improve
Safety
Regain
Solvency
Increased readiness for Pre-K
program proposed by
Governor
More suitable space for instruction &
student support services.
Safer environment when principal’s office is relocated
& administrative office visitors are eliminated.

9. Revenue: Tax Levy
• OUFSD Tax Levy below the Tax Levy
Cap for the past consecutive 3 years;
• Year-to-Year Levy changes sharply
declining over past 9 years
• Tax Levy is OUFSD’s largest revenue
source.
11.7%
9.33%
5.34%
3.80%
0.42%
2005
2007
2009
2011
2.92%
2013

10. Revenue: NYS Foundation Aid (FA)
$4,000
$3,000
$2,343
$3,800
$1,550
$1,546
$2,000
$1,000
$0
-$1,000
-$793
-$2,000
-$2,259
-$3,000
Year
Actual
•
•
•
•
•
2009
2011
NYSED
2013
Lost FA per TAFPU
NYS Aid 2nd largest revenue source for the District; FA Largest Aid Category
FA should increase as enrollment & student needs increase
OUFSD enrollment increased 660 students since 2008.
Ossining UFSD 8th lowest funded district in NYS
OUFSD is entitled to an additional $7million in 2014-15

11. Expenses:
Significant
Sustainable
Savings
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Reversed the trajectory of health, administrative and transportation expense
growth back toward 2009 levels as depicted in the graph below.
Identified $4.6 million in Capital improvements with no budget impact
through an Energy Performance Contract (EPC).
Received $2.5+ million in competitive grants.
Negotiated Triborough for Teacher & Administrator Contracts.
Saved $1.2 million over 12 years by re-financing bonds.

12. Superintendent’s Proposed Budget
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•
•
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2014-15 Budget Amount:$113,594,242
Budget to Budget Increase: 2.86%
Tax Levy Increase: 2.04%
Tax Levy Cap: 2.06%

13. Ossining School District Important Budget Meetings
 March 8, 2014
Board Budget Review
 March 12 & 26, 2014
Board Continued Discussion
 April 9, 2014
Proposed 2014-2015 Budget
 April 22, 2014
Adoption of Proposed Budget
 May 13, 2014
Public Budget Hearing/
Spanish Translation
 May 20, 2014
District Budget Vote
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