Possible items on the chopping block during the Mamaroneck School District budget process are full-day kindergarten, dozens of teachers, teacher aides and teacher assistants, eight sports teams, 14 coaches, nine clubs and the PEP band.

The budget reduction initiatives presented by Superintendent Paul Fried at Tuesday night’s Board of Education budget work session amount to $7.54 million and almost 54 positions across the district.

The plight faced by Mamaroneck, like most districts, is rising costs coupled with declining revenues. Mamaroneck’s state aid was cut so drastically this year that even when factoring in $625,000 worth of state-dispersed stimulus funds, the district suffered a $500,000 loss.

Fried said his approach has been to reduce rather than eliminate programs and services.

“I am not presenting you with budget reduction initiatives I can stand behind educationally,” Fried said. “Every single budget reduction initiative affects children when you talk about cutting educational staff.” He added that he and district and building administrators are considering every idea and every aspect as they put the budget together.

Firmer numbers than estimates provided at the Nov. 30 public input meeting have come in favoring the district, and coupled with non-staffing budget reductions have helped bring the budget increase down $3.7 million, to about 6 percent. These cuts include reductions in funding for programs like the Mamaroneck Teacher Institute, class trips, Lincoln Center elementary curriculum, Hommocks and MHS musicals and the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Community Counseling Center.

Fried said he is working under the assumption that since voters approved a 3.23 percent budget increase last year, the community would support an increase of about 3 percent this year. His goal was to cut an additional $3.7 million to bring the increase below that mark.

“This is not the assumption the Board of Education has made, but one I have made, and it certainly is not a final recommendation,” he said. Fried’s proposed $3.8 million worth of staff cuts would bring the increase down to about 2.85 percent.

The budget reduction initiatives cut seven non-instructional employees—5.14 clerical and two custodial positions—for a savings of $425,548.

The possible move to half-day kindergarten at district elementary schools would cut eight teachers and two aides. The half-day plan would retain the option of full-day kindergarten for those students who qualify for academic need based on assessments given in the spring. At Mamaroneck Avenue School, where at least half of the students routinely qualify for literacy needs, full-day kindergarten would remain in place. In addition, the district would cut five special education aides, five special education teacher assistants and one instructional coach across the four schools. The entire elementary staffing reduction would save $1.35 million.

At Hommocks, a move to a super team structure and the reduction of two teacher assistants, 10 special education aides and a part-time AIS math teacher would save the district just over $1 million. The initiative would change the four-team structure at each grade level to one in which sixth and eighth grades have 3.5 teams—three full teams and one team of teachers that divides its time between smaller groups of sixth and eighth-graders. That move would eliminate one teacher in English, math, social studies, science, Spanish and special education.

At the high school level, cuts were recommended based on class enrollment and teacher load. At a savings of $861,210, the high school recommends cutting one English, math, foreign language, reading and special education teacher, a guidance counselor, a support center teacher assistant, a teacher aide, and part-time business teacher, psychologist and teacher aide.

In the athletic program, the district suggests eliminating stipends for curriculum coordinators at elementary, middle and high school levels. The current programs include duplicate teams in one level at some sports, so the district is recommending they be eliminated. The move would cut eight teams and nine coaches and leave three teams for each sport. To round out the $164,353 in savings, the district recommends cutting out 14 program assistant coaches.

Residents who would like to submit questions or comments about these initiatives may do so at the district’s website under the “Budget Communications” section or in person at next Tuesday’s continuation of the budget meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the MHS tiered classroom.