7/27/2019 Shaughnessy Statement on KHS Bond Referendum

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JamesF.Shaughnessy,Jr. October21,2013

Trustee,KingstonCitySchoolDistrict

Illstartwithmyconclusion: Icannotingoodconsciencevoteinfavorof

thebondresolution.

Fromthe{HYPERLINK

http://www.kingstoncityschools.org/files/filesystem/KCSD2010Elementar

ySchoolsStudy.pdf },Attachment3,A Well Thought-Out Plan for FacilityProjects:

Page228 Akeyingredienttodeterminewhatfacilitiesare

neededtoimplementtheeducationalplanisanenrollmentprojection.Thedefiningoffacilitiesnecessary

toimplementtheplaniswithafuturevisionofthe9

12enrollmenttobeservedtenyearsfromnow.

Page230 Thedistrictcannotreceiveaidonspacethat

supersedestheenrollmentestimatedtobeservedinthe

future.

Ourdistrictenrollmenthasdeclinedfrom8,163in2001to6,509today.That

isadecreaseof1,652.

WhentheplanwaspresentedtothefullschoolboardonJune5,thedesign

capacitywassaidtobe2,200students. WhenIaskedifademographic

enrollmentprojectionhadbeendonetosupportthatnumber,theanswer

wasno. EventhoughIhadonlyafewhourstoreviewtheproject,Ivoted

tosubmit

the

project

to

referendum

on

the

statement

and

expectation

that

anenrollmentprojectionwouldbedoneandreviewed.

InSeptember,BoardofEducationreceivedademographicenrollment

projectionthathadbeencommissionedbyUlsterBOCESinDecember,

2012. Itprojectedhighschoolenrollmentof2,046in2022. Thatwould

justifythedesigncapacityof2,200students.

7/27/2019 Shaughnessy Statement on KHS Bond Referendum

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JamesF.Shaughnessy,Jr. October21,2013

Trustee,KingstonCitySchoolDistrict

ButthehistoricalenrollmentinthisstudydifferedfromBEDSdataforthe

years2007,2008,2009,and2012.BEDSdatawouldhaveprojectedhigh

schoolenrollmentonlessthat1800studentsin2022adifferenceofmore

that250students. IdescribedthiserrorinamemorandumthatIsenttoall

boardmembersonTuesday,September17. ImetwithDr.Padalinoand

Mrs.SchereronSeptember19toreviewit. Dr.Padalinoagreedthat

FACTSwouldhavetochangetheirprojection. Ihaveaskedseveraltimesif

thedistricthasreceivedthecorrectedprojection,andtheanswerhasbeen

no.

ItisnowmidOctober,over4monthsfromJune5,andwestillhaventseen

avalidenrollmentprojection. Avalidenrollmentprojectionhastostart

withcorrecthistoricalenrollmentdata.

Weareexpectedtoapproveabondresolutionfor$137.5millionfora

capitalprojectthatcouldnthavebeenbasedonavalidenrollment

projection.

Nowapparently,thedesigncapacityisfor2,000students,buttherehasnt

beenachangeinthecost,andIdontunderstandthat.

Thisisadifficultdecisionformetoreach. Ihavebeenaproponentof

improvedfacilitiesforourhighschoolstudentssinceIbecameaboard

memberin2006.

Butweclosed4elementaryschoolsinthelasttwoyearsbecauseof

decliningenrollment. Thosewerenoteasydecisionseither. Idontthink

weshouldnowturnaroundandspendmoneytobuildcapacityatthehighschoolthatcantbesubstantiated. Therearebetterwaystospend,ornot

spend,ourdollars.

Ialsohaveafiduciaryresponsibilitytothetaxpayersofourcommunity.