Malverne school budget and trustee vote May 17

Lowest tax levy increase in 15 years

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The Malverne school district announced the adoption of its 2016-17 budget last week, totaling just over $54.5 million. It includes a tax levy increase of $340,000, or less than a one percent increase, the smallest, percentage-wise, in 15 years, and well below state’s tax cap.

Chris Caputo, a business administrator for the district, said during the presentation that the tax levy would generate almost 76 percent of the district’s proposed revenue next year, with the remainder coming from state aid (19 percent), the district’s fund balance (3 percent) and other district-generated revenue, such as interest payments and revenue from other school districts (2 percent). Total spending will increase by 1.99 percent over the current budget.

Instruction costs will be next year’s biggest expense, comprising almost 62 percent of district spending. Twenty percent of the budget will be devoted to employee benefits, 10 percent to general support (which includes utilities and upkeep of the schools), 5 percent to transportation costs and about 2.5 percent to paying down debt.

The budget, and the spending of capital reserves, will be put to a district-wide vote on May 17, in the form of two propositions. Proposition 1 will be the budget, and Proposition 2 will ask voters to approve a total of $1.6 million in expenditures of the capital reserve fund — which, district officials explained, will carry no additional cost for taxpayers.

They would include bathroom upgrades at Howard T. Herber Middle School; roof and window replacement, masonry repairs and bathroom upgrades at Davison Avenue School; basement ventilation and bathroom upgrades at Maurice W. Downing School; the purchase of a large school bus, and the replacement of a dump truck.

If the proposed budget is not approved by a simple majority, the district may resubmit it, or a revised spending plan, to voters on June 21, or adopt a contingent budget.

Residents will also be voting to fill the seat on the Board of Education occupied by Trustee Michael Taylor, whose four-year term is expiring. Taylor is running for re-election, and is being challenged by two Malverne residents, Jan Kasal and Jeanne D’Esposito. Kasal ran for a school board seat last year, and lost. This is D’Esposito’s first campaign for school board.

A Q&A with the candidates will appear in next week’s Herald.