Oceanside School District unveils 2012-13 budget

$134 million spending plan includes new programs despite tax cap

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Last week, at its second budget workshop, the Oceanside School District presented a $134 million 2012-13 spending plan to the community — an increase of more than $2.8 million, or 2.19 percent, over the current $131.1 million budget. The focus of the meeting was instructional materials, but this was the first time that residents were able to see the spending plan in

its entirety.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Herb Brown pre-empted any confusion about the increase in light of the 2 percent tax cap that New York state enacted this year, explaining that the cap is a limit on the tax levy increase, not the actual budget. And, in fact, it might not be precisely 2 percent. Each district determines its cap based on a formula provided by the state.

“In Oceanside, the tax levy cap is about 2.2 percent,” Brown said. “So we can’t raise taxes more than 2.2 percent without going above the tax cap. That has nothing to do with the budget increase of 2.1 percent. The fact that they’re close to each other is just good planning on our part, but it doesn’t have to be that way.”

The district plans to cut $32,000 — or 31 percent — from its instructional equipment expenses. The majority of that reduction would come from spending on music and math supplies. The only math equipment the district plans to purchase is 60 Texas Instruments TI83 graphing calculators. Spending on textbooks would also decrease, by 3.78 percent, to just under $795,000.

But the district also plans to implement a new K-through-6 English Language Arts program, the Pearson Reading Street Program, designed with the Common Core State Standards in mind.

The standards will be implemented by the state next year, and will change the way schools teach many subjects, emphasizing depth over breadth. In fact, according to Beth Zirogiannis, the director of English Language Arts, Reading Street was written by many of the same people that created the ELA Common Core Standards, and is the only program written specifically for the CCS.

“As we look at our students, from kindergarten all the way up, there’s going to be an increase in the expectation for our students,” said Zirogiannis. “And this program will help to set a great foundation from K to 6, so our students will be ready to meet the challenges of middle school and high school, as outlined by the Common Core Standards.”

While the district is cutting costs elsewhere, implementing the new pro-

gram would come at a sizable cost.

Brown said that the district would need

to spend about $1 million for all of the materials. How-ever, the vendor,

Pearson, has agreed to allow the district to pay off the cost over three years with no interest. In 2012-13 the district would

pay $300,000.

Some residents questioned spending so much on a new program. But administrators pointed out that, under the new curriculum standards, Oceanside will need to change its program, anyway. And the Reading Street program, Zirogiannis said, would be the best way for the district to redo its K-through-6 ELA curriculum so that it students meet the new standards.

“We’re showing the community that this is a district that’s going to move forward and remain under the [tax] cap,”

said Brown.

The district will hold its final budget workshop on March 20 at School 6, where the topics of discussion will include staffing, revenues and tax rates. The public will vote on the budget on May 15.