North Merrick gets aid increase, saving jobs

The North Merrick School District was able to save staff positions originally intended to be cut or reduced after receiving additional state aid, according to Superintendent David Feller.

After New York state adopted its budget at the end of March, Feller said, the district received an extra $172,000 in state aid, and the money will be used to restore a social worker’s position that would otherwise have been reduced to part-time. The money will also be used to add extra days to art, speech, clerical and cleaner positions.

The district’s 2012-13 budget totals $27.5 million, which represents a 2.72 percent increase over 2011-12.

Since the money used to restore the positions was a result of state aid, it will have no effect on the tax levy, which will increase 2.45 increase over the current year. The district can collect a maximum of $20.15 million from North Merrick property owners to balance its budget.

The district was required to abide by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s property- tax levy cap, which he imposed last June. Since the district has certain allowable exemptions, it was allowed to exceed the 2 percent cap. As a result, the district will require a simple majority vote —50 percent, plus one — from the community to pass its budget.

On March 27, the district held a special budget meeting at Fayette Elementary School, at which Feller announced that two-full time reaching positions would be cut, though neither the school or schools nor the grades were specified. Feller also said that a third full-time teaching position would be cut, but would remain budgeted as a contingency.

“This year’s development of our budget was a little more challenging due to the new tax levy cap,” Feller said. “I feel with the involvement of our board administrative team and our lay committee, we’ve put together a very responsible budget that maintains the integrity of our programs.”

Feller also said that some of the state aid would be used to fund its summer school budget, which was previously set to be trimmed, though Feller said that school officials still intend to shift the program’s focus to become an intensive reading program for younger, at-risk students. “But we’ll now have more funds, and we’ll be able to make the program more comprehensive.,” he said.

The budget vote will take place on May 15 from 2 to 10 p.m. at Fayette Elementary School.

“I strongly encourage people to come out and vote,” Feller said, adding, “The board and I are very appreciative of the members of the community who served on the lay budget committee.”