Teachers union urges Saranac Lake board to spare staff as budget includes cuts; board moves reserve propositions to ballot

Joe Fell, vice president of the Sarinac Lake Teachers Association, told the Saranac Lake Central School District board during public comment that the district should reconsider planned teaching-staff cuts and draw from reserves this year to avoid layoffs. "The human element matters more than a capital reserve fund," Fell said, urging the board to prioritize retention and to use reserve money now and return to attrition-based adjustments later.

Fell said the district has cut about 75 teaching positions over eight years (roughly 7 percent) and that administrative staff has increased during that period, which "looks very bad" to teachers facing potential pink slips. He warned that cutting teachers risks losing trained staff who have found housing and committed to the community, making future recruitment more difficult.

During the meeting the business office presented a balanced budget forecast of $38,100,000 that includes reductions in instructional and non-instructional staff and an increased planned use of unallocated fund balance to $1.5 million (up from $1.1 million). In response to board questions, Nikki (the business office lead) said lines 10 and 11 — the primary staff-cost lines in the budget — total $17,593,281 and noted related cost lines (health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits) would change if staffing levels change. The presenter warned that repeatedly drawing on fund balance at that rate is unsustainable over multiple years.

Although speakers debated the merits of staffing retention versus bolstering reserves, the board voted to continue two reserve funds and place corresponding propositions on the 2025 ballot. The board recorded a roll-call approval for resolution 092 2024; the roll call recorded affirmative votes by Nancy, Justin, Joe, Zack, and Cory, and one recorded response in the transcript appears as "Mark or Mike" (the record is ambiguous). The board also approved resolution 091 2024 approving the current budgetary transfers.

Board members and union representatives emphasized that any layoffs must follow contractually required seniority procedures; union representatives asked the board to ensure seniority lists and layoff notices are accurate. The meeting concluded with the board moving to executive session on personnel matters.

Next steps: the district will proceed with the planned budget process; the propositions approved by resolution 092 2024 will appear on the 2025 ballot, and board and union leaders signaled continuing negotiations and follow-up discussions about staffing levels and reserve use.