Vote for Rockville Centre school budget, re-elect Dion and Masin

On Tuesday, residents of the Rockville Centre school district will vote on its proposed $97.3 million 2012-13 budget, which is 1.7 percent larger than the current spending plan and keeps the tax levy within the state-mandated cap. We urge voters to approve the plan, which we believe puts students first, makes headway in dealing with expenses and ensures the high-quality education the community expects and deserves.

Residents have always shown strong support for local schools, but with a budget that seems to have generated almost no controversy and little in the way of public comment during budget hearings held by the Board of Education, that support could be threatened by voter apathy. Unanimously adopted by the board, the proposal maintains all academic, sports, music and extracurricular programs and services the district offers, without sacrificing staff. It also maintains funding for capital projects and debt service.

School officials have expressed gratitude for the key role that members of the district’s seven bargaining units have played in negotiations that will save taxpayers money. In addition, a four-year contract with Superintendent Dr. William Johnson, finalized last June, includes no salary increases, boosts Johnson’s health care contributions and eliminates a so-called “evergreen” clause that automatically renews the contract at the end of each year. By knowing now what the major budgetary costs will be for the next several years, the district can achieve some measure of economic stability, enabling administrators to plan for the future while adhering to the tax-levy-cap legislation.

Other money-saving initiatives include the conversion to natural gas in district buildings and an energy performance contract that, when approved by the state, will increase energy efficiency in those buildings at no cost to taxpayers.