District 24 to maintain programs

With the District 24 Board of Education set to adopt the proposed 2011-12 budget next week, school officials are touting the plan saying that it maintains programs while keeping the tax increase to a minimum.

The tentative $27.2 million budget would raise spending 2.26 percent, and would raise the tax levy by 1.1 percent. Assistant Superintendent Dan Onorato said that should translate into a $20 annual increase for the average homeowner.

Programs will remain in tact next year. Superintendent Dr. Edward Fale said that the Spanish and keyboarding programs, restored this year, will stay in place because the district can continue to fund those with federal jobs money.

As for other programs, Fale said that District 24 already has made numerous cuts in recent years. “We’re not cutting anything because there’s nothing left to cut,” he said.

The district will lose a few teaching assistant positions, however those will be due to enrollment changes, Fale said.

It will also create a new special education class. Onorato said that some students in outside placements — which the district pays tuition for — will be brought back to Valley Stream and educated at the Robert W. Carbonaro School.

District officials say there are also some building projects that will be addressed in next year’s budget. Onorato said that there will be electrical upgrades at the schools as well as improvements for handicapped accessibility. Some brick work will also be completed at the William L. Buck School to repair cracks.

The district is facing the same financial pressures as other school districts. District 24 is set to lose about $633,000 in state aid under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal. Fale said it is possible that the state Legislature could restore some aid, but that likely wouldn’t be known until after April 1. Additionally, the district will have to pay $65,000 more for health insurance costs about another $400,000 to $450,000 to the state retirement system.