Lynbrook School District budget reflects no cuts

At a budget work session on Feb. 24, the Lynbrook Board of Education announced its proposed budget for the 2016-17 school year, which contains no cuts in faculty or programs.

“Every year I say the same thing, and I apologize for sounding like a broken record, but each year it gets more difficult and more difficult,” Superintendent Melissa Burak said, adding that the allowable increase in the tax levy is the “most minimal increase in a school tax levy that we’ve had to encounter at a time when, of course, costs of everything else continue to rise.”

The work session was one of two planned before the board adopts the final version of the spending plan, which will be put to a public vote on May 17.

The proposed budget totals $80.9 million, with a tax levy increase of .239 percent over the current $79.4 million. Paul Lynch, assistant superintendent for finance, operations and information systems, said he would not calculate the tax increase for the average taxpayer until the board adopts the budget, which is likely to happen on March 9.

Gerard Beleckas, assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment, and Maureen Berman, administrator for personnel and student support services, began last week’s work session by laying out the staffing and curriculum needs for next year, costs that have increased due primarily to contractual obligations (such as retirement and health insurance) and the addition of staff members. After teachers’ salaries, the next-largest department increase was in the special services budget, due to the increased costs of public tuition and transportation for disabled students.

“It was a lot of hard work and teamwork and collaboration to make sure we were able to put together a budget that did meet the tax levy, while still maintaining our programs,” Burak said.

Staffing is projected to increase by the equivalent of 10.5 full-time support staff positions for special education. The District identified curriculum priorities including the elementary-level Teachers College Reading and Writing project, the middle school One-to-World tablet program and a proposed block scheduling initiative, which will give middle school students the chance to take more electives in the humanities and the sciences. High school students will also have the opportunity to take a new parenting and child development course.

The second half of the preliminary budget meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, after the Herald went to press, when the focus would be expenditures, revenues and use of reserves. Board trustees anticipated that the budget would be adopted on March 9.

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