Bellmore-Merrick school leaders reflect on tax cap

No one is sure precisely what the 2 percent tax-levy cap passed by the state last week will mean for Bellmore-Merrick’s four elementary districts and one high school district, but it could force the districts to cut student programming and lay off teachers in order to stay under the legal limit.

The cap, first proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo during last year’s election, received overwhelming support in both houses of the state Legislature and was signed by Cuomo last Friday night.

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.

For the 2011-12 academic year, the levy is set to increase by 5.21 percent in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, 4.89 percent in the Merrick Elementary District, 4.46 percent in the North Bellmore District, 3.98 percent in the North Merrick Elementary District and 3.89 percent in the Bellmore Elementary District.

Dr. Henry Kiernan, the Central District superintendent, said the high school district was already forced to lay off 25 staff members this coming school year, including a dozen teachers. For 2012-13, he said, “Everything will be on the table in terms of how to maintain programs and services. I just don’t know how we’re going to do all of that.”

Jay Breakstone, a Bellmore Board of Education trustee, said that because 60 percent of the electorate must approve a levy increase greater than 2 percent, “[The no vote] has a greater say in what the district budget is. That doesn’t seem fair.”

And David Feller, superintendent of the North Merrick District, said, “Whatever the rules are that are established for us, we will live with. But, again, the big concern is that if we have a tax cap, and if state aid is also reduced or kept at the same level, that will probably force all districts to reduce their programs.”

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