Say ‘yes’ to East Rockaway school budget

It would be difficult these days not to endorse a school budget that adheres to state guidelines, established in 2011, limiting a school district’s tax levy increase to approximately 2 percent or the increase in the cost of living, whichever is lower. The tax levy is the total amount of money raised through property taxes.

East Rockaway School District officials have approved a proposed 2015-16 budget of $37,994,804, a 1.88 percent increase over the current spending plan. The tax levy increase is 1.58 percent, the smallest increase in 14 years. We encourage voters to give it their approval next Tuesday.

The plan will maintain all academic and extracurricular programs while adding two new teachers to academic intervention services and one state-mandated ESL teacher, and introducing one-on-one computer tablets and a new college-level architecture course.

The district had help with state aid and a partial restoration of the gap elimination adjustment (gap elimination is where a portion of the state’s funding shortfall is divided among all school districts in the state, based on a formula, and each district’s state aid was reduced accordingly. ) The district has also applied a fund balance of $760,000 and used slightly more than $1 million in reserves to stay below the tax cap.

The Board of Education is asking the public to approve two propositions in addition to the budget. Propositions 2 and 3 would OK the use of $200,000 from each of the district’s capital reserve funds for building improvements and technology. The money from the building fund is earmarked for district-wide improvements, including window repair or replacement and security enhancements, and installation of an electronic sign at the high school. The technology initiative would include upgrades or purchases, and telecommunications equipment and hardware.