Island Park school budget increasing 3%

Island Park Schools Superintendent Dr. Rosmarie Bovino began the district’s public budget process on April 11, outlining in a letter to school parents and residents the new costs facing the district in its proposed 2011-12 spending plan.

The budget totals $33.49 million, an increase of just over $972,000, or 2.99 percent. By making cuts, however, district officials managed to limit the tax levy increase to just over $499,000, or 1.73 percent.

“We recognize the financial hardships of all who struggle to keep their jobs or to live on fixed incomes,” Bovino wrote in the letter. “Hence, the school budget for 2011-2012 includes a 1.73 percent tax levy increase, which is lower than the 1.92 percent contingent budget cap,” she added, referring to the maximum increase should voters reject the proposed budget twice. “It is even lower than the proposed 2 percent property tax cap over which the Governor and Senate continue to wrangle.”

Bovino’s strongly worded letter chastised the county and state governments for increasing the district’s mandated costs while cutting its state aid. “New York State legislators continue to delay a repeal of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority payroll tax,” she wrote. “[P]aying for MTA failings will cost us about $65,000.”

As is the case in many other municipalities, payments the district must make for employee benefits have increased in the proposed budget. Island Park will pay about $1 million more for teacher and employee retirement benefits and health insurance. The district is also facing an estimated $15,000 outlay for the new Nassau County Sewer Tax. There will also be increases in payments to Nassau BOCES, transportation contracts and tuition at West Hempstead and Long Beach high schools, the last of which accounts for about 16.6 percent of the proposed budget.

The district’s increased transportation costs are partly attributable to the need to contract three new buses to replace aging buses in its fleet. The district is also looking to purchase a new pickup truck with a plow attachment, which will save money on plowing expenses, including overtime pay. These new expenses total approximately $185,000.