To the Editor:

I am writing to address concerns that have been expressed about a proposed capital project at the Berne-Knox-Westerlo schools, and to clear up apparent misconceptions about the district’s spending per pupil.

If it seems the board of education does not have a real handle on the project’s scope and specifics, it is because we are, as was noted in the presentation that was given to the board on Dec. 12, in the earliest stages of this process.

The design and evaluation stage is an important first step, and it is important to note that it was taken after careful deliberation. For the past year and a half, we have prudently conducted the Building Conditions Survey, and we have had presentations by our architects and discussions about facilities improvement as far back as December 2015.

We asked the architects to bring us a list of possible work that could be included in a potential capital project because we thought that was a prudent way to begin the process. I don’t go to the grocery store without making a list, and I wouldn’t think we’d discuss the future of BKW without doing the same thing.

As for our per-pupil spending, it’s important to note that successfully developing educated children isn’t the same as manufacturing cars — each student comes with his or her unique history, desires, and set of strengths and challenges. But, because we don’t use an assembly-line approach to educating our children, we can measure success and growth at the personal level.

It’s tempting to compare per-pupil spending between districts but, just as individual students have unique needs, so do entire school districts. Regardless of our enrollment, our district is among the geographically largest in the state. Our neighboring districts bus more students over a smaller area, making their transportation cost per pupil that much lower than ours.

Compared to other districts in Albany County, BKW has a higher percentage of students receiving free and reduced-price lunches, a higher percentage of students coming from economically distressed families, and approximately 65 percent of our students are identified as having “extraordinary needs,” meaning that positioning them to be as successful as their cohorts throughout the state uses more financial resources than the average student.

Despite these challenges, we have managed to decrease per-pupil spending by 2.2 percent this year to $27,789. Since 2012, we’ve seen a steady increase in the amount of state aid for our district, meaning that we’ve had to rely less on our local taxpayers. As we have reduced the reliance on tax levy, our cost per pupil as a portion of the levy has been reduced by 3 percent, making it one of the lowest among districts of our enrollment size.

Our recent audit — delayed because we were awaiting data from outside agencies, not our business office — noted that we are under budget for this school year, have a healthy fund balance, and that the district is in great long-term financial shape.

There are certainly things that the board and the district could do better. Yes, the board goals were not adopted until December, but that does not mean that the board has been aimless for the first half of the year. Our actions since the beginning of the year, including hiring two administrators and passing the Alternative Veterans Tax Exemption, have been driven by the values and beliefs that have been memorialized in our formal board goals.

I would love to see more people at our meetings, but I do not agree with any criticism that we have been less than transparent with our schedule or agenda items. We adopt and publish a meeting schedule at the beginning of the school year. We mail a calendar of district events to every home in the district.

Our meeting schedule is also on our website and we send out email reminders the week before and the day of the meetings. Though not required by law, we provide agendas in advance on our online system, BoardDocs, and physical copies for those present at the meeting.

I speak for the board when I say that we have no desire to be secretive or to waste our taxpayers’ money. We have every desire to ensure the safety and security of our students and staff, and to provide academic facilities that will support student learning and achievement.

We meet again on Monday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m. I’m sure we will continue the discussion of our facilities needs and any potential capital project. It would be great to see some new faces there.

Improvement is our goal. Progress is our continuous journey. Join us as we take the next step.

Matt Tedeschi, president

Berne-Knox-Westerlo

Board of Education