Pyramids Can Expect Rate Revisions

Pyramids Administration met with NYSED representatives Thursday June 5th to learn that Pyramids will be able to re-submit for insufficient funding for preschool special education services. This news will allow Pyramids to move forward with a restructuring of the debt. This is very good news to the families served by Pyramids and the employees who value and appreciate their employment.

These revisions come at a cost. It is the regional counties served by Pyramids that are mandated to absorb these costs. Therefore, some of the questions that are worth addressing with today's blog are as follows:

How has debt been created in the amount of 800,000 over 4 years?
Each year, since 2004, in order to cover all the costs of operating the mandated preschool special education programs, Pyramids required an additional 7% of revenue annually to stay in the black.

Why are these programs so expensive?
A preschool special education classroom ranges in cost between 150,000 to 250,000 per year in actual cost depending on the nature of the needs of the children serviced by that classroom. The more therapies necessary the more the cost of the classroom. No surprise to anyone the increased cost of health insurance and employee benefits and general operating expenses also increases the cost. But another very important point worth mentioning is the reduction of revenues to share overhead costs.

As any good business person knows, shared overhead costs for a facility, materials, equipment, and administration costs, spread out over more programs, reduces the cost to anyone program. This is a significant point to be made in Clinton County and one that deserves to be understood by the voting community.

When the facility, Pyramids in Morrisonville was opened, 2002, the business plan was a good one. Under one facility, marry child care with preschool special education programming, and allow other programs, such as early intervention revenues and preschool home service revenues, share the cost of overhead and administration costs.

What happened then?
In 2004, the local legislators, voted to create two new agencies in Clinton County doing the same work for early intervention and home preschool services using employees at the time currently working for Pyramids and with clients currently serviced by Pyramids. Since 2004, the revenues for these other programs, to help off-set overhead and administration costs, has been reduced by 70%. Essentially transferred to start up agencies to do the same kind of work.

Who then needs to take responsibility for the deficit created to operate the mandated preschool special education preschool programs?
No one person but rather a collective group. A group of legislators whom voted to collectively dismantle programs to Pyramids that were acting to off-set overhead costs, to keep the costs of operating the mandated preschool special programs from running a deficit or at the very least a deficit that would not result in a forced Chapter 11.

Why did they do this?
Depending on who you speak to, legislators, county officials, the county attorney, Assemblywoman Janet Duprey, you will hear a different answer. Yet, collectively there has been one single mission since 2004, to distort the truth. What tactics and measures have the responsible parties willingly engaged in to distort the truth? Although nothing surprises me any longer, it may help the reader to explain why I relocated my family. Regardless of the reason, the vote, .. an unprecendedted phone vote .. by the legislators in 2004, to dismantle revenues, has the fiscal result of higher regional costs to educate the preschool child with a disability.

In closing, this is a good day for the Pyramids team. There is relief and a sense that all the work to bring parents and employees together to unite with a single voice stating emphatically they want their school to survive, their programs to remain in tact, has paid off.

There is more work to be done. Private donations will continue to be a focus to finish the debt entirely. Our fiscal reports for 06-07 are being completed with the help of our Albany based consultant and finally, the state audit report, with all its flaws and misrepresentations is being formally disputed.

A very big thank you to the readers of this blog who continue to show their support and the increasing amount of individuals who desire to be informed and not mislead by a selected few.

To receive a copy of FAQ's please email drrecore@pyramidspreschool.org

All prospective donors, please call 518-562-3847 and ask to speak to Vivian Reiner, Melissa Dorsett-Felicelli, Karen Hachigian, Margi Carter or Valerie Bragg.

Melissa will be happy to discuss the issues concerning the audit. She may be contacted at mdfelicelli@pyramidspreschool.org or 518-593-8945.

Parent Support

More Parent Quotes:

“ Since birth he has faced many “ life and death" experiences…..Pyramids has given him the support and tools ...to make incredible strides…devastating….to close the doors on such a fantastic school.” John and Debbie A., Lewis, NY

“ A year ago, my family and I were so scared that Quentin would not have the capabilities to adjust to life beyond the four corners of his bedroom…..with the help of Pyramids programs….Quentin has excelled beyond our beliefs…discontinuing …will be detrimental to my grandson” Deborah C., Plattsburgh, NY

“ has come a long way in a year….loosing Pyramids would be shameful….disappointing…..( he was)3 yrs(old) before speaking….at this point hasn’t stopped …since beginning Pyramids”
Shana B., Plattsburgh, NY



Tuesday, June 3rd, resulted in another successful support meeting attended by parents with preschool children who have been found to have special needs. Many children attended this meeting and were filmed by WPTZ Channel 5 news. The Press Republican sent a reporter to interview parents to understand what Pyramids means to them and it what it would mean if Pyramids is unable to continue full operations for the preschool child with a disability.


Another 54 support letters were collected.


As support letters are being collected they are being sent to state officials and regional stakeholders able to shed light on the expense of educating a preschool child with special needs and to see that these programs are sufficiently funded to meet with actual cost.

Pyramids operates a total of 7 preschool special education classrooms and like BOCES, operator of these programs prior to Pyramids with a reported loss of 1.7 million, Pyramids has experienced insufficient funding since 2004. In the past, Pyramids has used early intervention revenues, infant/toddler intervention program, to help off-set these losses. Currently Pyramids does much less with regards to early intervention services. That said, special education for the preschool child must stand alone with revenues to match the expense of each classroom. Depending on the nature of the needs of the children attending these federally mandated programs, year to year, these expenses will vary. With the assistance of an Albany based consultant, Pyramids has submitted revisions to reflect actual cost for the 05-06 school year. This in effect will adjust the 05-06 school year reimbursement rates and the past two school years ending a cycle of debt created out of insufficient rates. Pyramids is awaiting a response from the New York State Department of Education concerning the revisions submitted by an independent consultant.

Pyramids is also using parent support letters with our fundraising efforts that are well underway. As of today oever 70 packets have been sent out to individuals and foundations in the state of NY who have in the past shown a history of sponsoring and supporting programs for children. Revised rates with donations can end the pattern of creating debt to pay for insufficiently funded preschool special education services.


Prospective donors may contact our main office at 518-562-3847 and request to speak to Margi Carter, Vivian Reiner, Melissa Dorsett-Felicelli, Dawn Recore or Karen Hachigian.


To all those staying up with the blog, we will try to update at least twice a week and more often as information is learned about rates, donations and anything else we can share with our regional community supporting Pyramids Child Development Center.



A set of FAQ's developed as a result of the inaccurate press release 5/15/08 and the truth concerning a number of issues can be requested by contacting drrecore@pyramidspreschool.org.



Questions concerning the blog or any other matter may be addressed to mdfelicelli@pyramidspreschool.org. Melissa may also be reached at 518-593-8945 (cell). Melissa is happy to answer any and all questions directed at efforts to make it appear Pyramids mismanaged the preschool special education funding.