The Springs School is weighing many moving parts as it develops its 2021-22 spending plan, with anticipated increases in areas such as school busing, custodial services, and bathroom and classroom updates.
Although a bottom-line budget has not yet been released, Springs officials in February committed to staying within the limitations of New York State's cap on tax levy increases. They continued to debate cost increases during a March 1 school board workshop at which District Superintendent Debra Winter proposed buying a new large bus and a smaller van, to replace an old bus and also add a vehicle to "help us with picking up students that could be homeless in Hampton Bays, East Quogue, or even further west." A federal regulation called the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act requires continuity of education for children whose families become homeless, which often means long bus trips paid for by the students' most recent school district.
A van would also make things easier for the current minibus driver, who has to park the vehicle at home, which is sometimes problematic, Ms. Winter said.
To buy the two new vehicles, which would cost $150,000 together, the district would need a separate proposition on the May 18 ballot.
Another transportation question was whether to continue employing bus monitors, who work both morning and afternoon shifts and usually double as teaching assistants and lunch and recess monitors. It will cost $64,000 to keep the monitors on again for the entire year.
"If you ask our drivers what they think of their monitors, they've been worth their weight in gold," said Ms. Winter. The monitors have been instrumental in maintaining social distancing and ensuring children stay safe, seated, and masked, she noted.
Two transportation items in flux for the 2021-22 budget are a 6 percent increase in insurance costs, amounting to $900, as well as a 40 percent increase in gas, which comes out to $20,000. Barbara Dayton, the school board president, asked about the feasibility of hybrid or electric vehicles. Michael Henery, school business administrator, said they are "much more expensive than traditional buses" and need recharging midday to be able to complete afternoon trips — meaning that charging stations would also be needed.
Foreseeable changes to facilities in the coming school year include an increase of $35,000 in heating fuel costs, which Mr. Henery attributed exclusively to a cold winter. To sustain another year of pandemic-related costs and purchases, such as personal protective equipment and disinfectant, the district would spend $75,000. Many one-time costs are already covered in the current year's budget, which includes $200,000 from last spring, when school officials began to anticipate Covid-19 expenses, though actual costs likely exceeded that amount.
Administrators suggested $50,000 in salary increases to promote part-time custodians to full time and make one custodian a grounds-maintenance worker instead.
The board opened discussion on a timeline for future facilities projects, including the five classrooms around the commons area that require asbestos abatement due to tiles coming up and new floors being put down. With required safety measures, that comes out to $35,000 per room.
A fence surrounding the athletic fields was proposed, as were new floors in the boys' and girls' junior high bathrooms. The floors, though cosmetic, were generally agreed upon as a necessary fix. Eighteen thousand dollars would cover both new floors.
The board considered converting one classroom into a "family and consumer science" room (formerly known as home economics). Approximately $2,000 for a sink, stove, refrigerator, and microwave did not seem "bang-for-buck" to Timothy Frazier, a school board member. He pointed out that if the goal was to offer some kind of culinary experience to students before they go off to learn in East Hampton High School's state-of-the-art kitchen, the basic appliances might not cut it. He wondered if Springs could share the high school's space instead.
Varnish on the greeter's front foyer wall behind the desk and a resanded and refinished wood hall floor were also proposed as potential spruce-ups.
Mr. Henery brought up the potential benefit of a robotic field-lining machine that could do the work of two to three people, normally "the better part of two days," in an hour and a half, by measuring lines and painting them on the track and athletic fields. The machine could also benefit students with an example of real-life, practical robotics, he said, but leasing it starts at $7,000.
The board generally agreed that some big numbers were yet to be addressed, which Mr. Henery attributed to a delay from outside sources. He said the district is also waiting on hybrid tuition models to send its high school students to East Hampton.
The district's third virtual budget workshop is planned for March 22, with details to be posted on the school website, springsschool.org.