North Bellmore School District forms committee to deal with tax cap

As a state-mandated property-tax cap draws nearer, the North Bellmore School District is searching for ways to keep its budget low, without affecting the education that students receive. The tax cap will not take effect until 2012, but North Bellmore Superintendent Arnold Goldstein has formed a special committee far in advance to deal with its implications.

The new law says essentially that the tax levy — the total amount in taxes that a school district must collect in order to meet expenses — cannot rise more than 2 percent a year, unless 60 percent of voters in the district approve a larger increase. With the tax cap, it will be difficult for districts to maintain current programming, Goldstein noted. “The issue is that expenses are going up and our income is going down,” he explained.

Goldstein will chair the committee, which will comprise representatives from all parties that will be impacted by the financial constraints caused by the tax cap. The committee will include parents, teachers, administrators, clerical staff, custodial staff, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and residents.

The committee will meet six times from mid-September to December in public sessions. The committee’s goal is to review “viable alternatives for grouping students,” Goldstein stated in a letter to parents. “Each alternative was based upon an understanding that the largest savings could be achieved through the most economical use of our buildings, including the possibility of closing a building. There are also recommendations on more efficient groupings of students and staff. Saving money is not our only goal, however. Anything we ultimately do must maintain the quality of our instructional program within the monetary limits imposed by the tax cap.”

While closing a building is under consideration, nothing is definite, Goldstein asserted. “Most of our buildings could accommodate more students,” he said. “One of the things we want to look at is the most effective use of our space.”

District officials said they would like to maintain small class sizes and the current programs that North Bellmore students and parents have grown accustomed to, Goldstein said. When looking at the budget last year, the board determined that teaching positions and programs would have to be cut to meet the cap. “Our class sizes would really skyrocket” if the cuts are made, Goldstein said. “It would really hurt kids.”

The committee’s purpose is to ensure that doesn’t happen, Goldstein said. District officials want to “explore how we can be more efficient,” he said. By starting the committee far in advance, Goldstein said he hopes to hear from parents and find solutions. The committee will meet at Saw Mill Road School beginning at 7 p.m. The dates will be:

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