50.0°,
Overcast No cuts in H.S. district's proposed budget
District: Decrease in pension payments and improving economy helping to restore programs
For the second straight year, the Valley Stream Central High School District is proposing a budget that will contain no cuts to academic or extracurricular programs at any of its four schools, and will restore multiple programs and staff positions that were cut in recent years.
“I’m confident when I say that there is something in this budget for everybody,” said Superintendent Bill Heindenreich at the Board of Education’s March 12 meeting. “All of the students in each of our schools will benefit from this plan.”
The 2015-2016 budget calls for a 2.13 percent tax levy increase, which complies with the state’s tax cap, Heidenreich said. The final total of the budget will increase by 1.55 percent, from an annual spending total of $108,025,843 to a total of $109,702,140 if voters approve it in May.
“The principal of each of our four schools has been asked to choose three after-school clubs or activities that were recently cut due to past budget restraints to restore,” he said. “We’ll also be restoring our district-wide air-rifle team, beginning in 2015-2016.”
The new budget will also restore one staff member each to the clerical and maintenance departments, the staff of which were slashed in the wake of the 2008 recession.
The budget also calls for new positions. The district would hire new ESL teachers in accordance with new mandates from the state Education Department, though the number would be determined later.
Each of the district’s three high schools would receive an additional part-time guidance counselor. Those counselors would also be hired as part-time teaching assistants to ensure that all student counselors would be in the building at all times. Central and South High Schools would each receive an additional part-time psychologist, while Central High School and Memorial Junior High School would each have a Part-time social worker increased to full-time. Heidenreich said the new guidance counselors, psychologists and social workers were crucial additions to an already overworked staff.
