School budget to grow by $2.4 million

Last week, the Rockville Centre Board of Education began discussions of the 2014-15 school budget proposal, which would increase spending by nearly $2.4 million.

The tentative budget totals just over $103.1 million, a 2.37 percent increase over this year’s spending plan. The increase is mainly attributable to new instructional spending.

“[This budget] works,” said Superintendent Dr. William Johnson. “I’m very happy that, in this environment, we’re able to maintain the status quo with program and staff, and maintain the same quality of service we’ve had in the past.”

The increase will not be borne entirely by taxpayers. Under the state tax cap, the district could increase the tax levy by 1.98 percent, or about $1.725 million. The actual levy increase, according to district officials, will be around $1.55 million, thanks to a jump in projected revenues of $850,000, which include an increase of $650,000 in state aid.

Contractual raises for staff account for the single largest increase in the budget, about $1.5 million. Teaching salaries alone comprise more than 30 percent of the spending plan. The district also faces a $700,000 increase in contributions to the teachers’ retirement fund, a state-mandated expense. Those contributions have ballooned by hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past few years, but Johnson said he believes that trend may finally be over.

“I think we’ve seen the last year of increase,” he said. “Next year is either going to plateau or decline.”

The district’s contributions to the state employee retirement fund — for non-teaching staff — have already seen a decrease. The district will contribute $200,000 less in 2014-15 than it did this year.

The district’s spending on students with disabilities will increase by nearly $390,000. Most of this cost, Johnson explained, is in the form of tuition the district pays for students who attend out-of-district schools.

“We’re not cutting a single program, nor are we cutting staff,” he said. “I’ve got to go back and thank the employees who, four years ago, when we renegotiated contracts, every one of them worked with us to come up with a formula to get us through five years under the tax cap.”

The administration and the school board will continue discussing the budget at meetings on March 11 and 26 in room 112 at South Side High School, when members of the public will have the opportunity to offer their input as well. The budget vote is set for May 20.