PCSSuper Still Working On Next Year's Cut List

POTSDAM - School Superintendent Patrick H. Brady said it will take another week before he goes public with a list of potential teaching and staff positions to be cut at Potsdam Central for the 2010-11 school year.

Mr. Brady told the school board and members of the public Tuesday he is still charting potential cuts and meeting with employees who could be impacted by the district's attempt to make up for a $1.2 million reduction in state aid.

He said the district is also facing mandated increases in health insurance, salaries, pensions and special education costs.

"We are in the process of finalizing the cuts and the administration has been talking to those people who are going to be affected by it," Mr. Brady said. "And I have also had some of those conversations to let them know that their positions could be in jeopardy so they can plan accordingly."

All told the Potsdam district is seeking to close a $2.4 million budget gap for the upcoming year, according to school officials.

Mr. Brady said he is hoping to release a detailed list of proposed cuts, including teaching positions, at the district's next Finance Committee meeting scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday at the high school library.

"To get the budget down to a reasonable rate that might be supported by the community we would need to look at cutting $1.2 million out of our budget," Mr. Brady said.

Mr. Brady said most of the district's current $26.7 million budget is earmarked for salaries and employee benefits.

"Since about 65 and 70 percent of our expenditures are personnel, those are the areas that we need to look at. Personnel and programs," Mr. Brady said.

In addition to finding $1.2 million in cuts, Mr. Brady said the district is also planning to use approximately $1 million in undeclared reserves to help balance the budget.

He said the district is tentatively looking at a $27.5 million spending plan for 2010-11 - an increase of about 2.58 percent over the current year's budget.