Support the East Meadow school, library budgets

Hard work and careful planning cannot be overstated in the East Meadow School District. The work ethic of the central administration, led by Superintendent Louis DeAngelo, and its working relationship with the Board of Education, resulted in a proposed budget that keeps an academically thriving school system intact in difficult economic times. 

The $181.2 million spending plan is just 1.73 percent larger than the current budget, a near record-low increase. If it passes, this will be the second consecutive year that the increase in spending has been held below 2 percent. 

The impact on the individual taxpayer appears to be minimal as well, in comparison with past years and other school districts’ budgets this year. Though individual tax bills differ based on the assessment process, East Meadow limited the increase in the tax levy to 1.62 percent. 

Unfortunately, East Meadow is one of hundreds of school systems across New York state that have seen millions of dollars in cuts in state aid. Fortunately, East Meadow was prepared, having planned and saved for decades. The district has even been recognized by the state for its careful fiscal practices. It was one of only five school districts in Nassau County to receive a $226,837 award for maintaining administrative efficiency. According to statistics, East Meadow is among the districts that devote the smallest amounts of their budgets to central administration costs, like salaries and benefits for the superintendent, assistant superintendents and other key administrators. 

The district has one of the largest unrestricted reserve funds on Long Island, and that is something residents can be proud of. This year district officials decided to use about $4 million of this rainy-day fund to offset the cuts in state aid. By doing so, they avoided cutting crucial academic and extracurricular programs, imposing layoffs or proposing a burdensome tax increase. East Meadow is one of only a handful of districts in Nassau County that have not been forced to choose one or more of those dreadful options.