More state aid means lower taxes in West Hempstead

“The board balanced the educational needs of West Hempstead with the economy,” James Hogan, superintendent of the West Hempstead school district, told attendees of the board’s April 12 meeting. “I believe all voices were heard.”

District administrators heard loudly and clearly the complaints of residents at the board’s March 29 meeting about taxes being too high: they reduced the proposed 2011-12 budget increase to 2.85 percent and the tax levy increase to 2.99 percent (a significant drop from the current year’s tax levy increase of 4.9 percent).

According to Deputy Superintendent Richard Cunningham, the administrators were able to reduce the tax levy increase they had proposed on March 29 (3.43 percent) primarily as a result of some $240,000 in restored state aid. The funds also allowed the district to bring back the district’s summer school program, which it had slated for elimination as a cost-saving measure.

Although the district has removed a total of 13.6 positions, it was able to restore four positions, including a high school guidance counselor and teacher, using the Education Jobs Fund — a one-time federal grant.       

With the restoration of summer school, the budget continues all educational programs that run in the current school year and maintains all extracurricular clubs and interscholastic sports, unlike last year when the district eliminated the wrestling team. The budget also includes the large facility maintenance EXCEL Project that will be completed at no cost to taxpayers, thanks to a full reimbursement from the state.

While conceding that neither administrators nor the board can “make everybody happy,” Cunningham said he is somewhat optimistic about the chances of the budget passing on May 17, particularly because the tax levy increase is lower than last year’s.

“It’s certainly our hope that people see the difference this year as compared to last year,” Cunningham said. “It took a lot of work, in terms of adjusting our long-term expenses and the long-term revenue streams, to present this budget and to see how it unfolds into the future so that West Hempstead won’t see a sudden spike in taxes again in the coming years.”

Not knowing how the budget will look in the future is a major problem for board trustee Cynthia Di Miceli, who opposed the budget adoption.

“If I vote ‘yes’ to adopt this budget … it’s only getting us through the next school year, and then what?” Di Miceli said. “On paper, this budget looks good, but not knowing where we’re going to be next year or the year after that has raised some cause of concern for me.”

The remaining six board members voted in favor of the budget, effectively adopting it 6-1.

The board will hold a budget hearing on May 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the West Hempstead High School videoconference room. Email budget questions to votemay17@whufsd.com.