$201M budget on the table in Levittown

The fate of the Levittown school budget is now in the hands of voters. The Board of Education unanimously adopted a $201.8 million budget that would increase spending by 1.54 percent for the 2015-16 school year if approved on May 19.

In the last of a series of budget meetings, on March 25, administrators reviewed the proposed budget, which includes several new initiatives. District officials did it without any indication on how much state aid Levittown will receive next year.

The budget would maintain all programs, staffing levels and class sizes across the 7,200-student district. “We’re maintaining services,” Trustee Michael Pappas said. “We’ve actually enhanced services.”

The spending plan would fund a one-to-one technology initiative for ninth-graders. Students would receive tablets that they would use throughout the day. An elementary school keyboarding program would be added, more Smart Document cameras would be purchased and the animation lab computers would be upgraded at the Gerald R. Clapps Career and Technical Center.

Two additional reading teachers would be hired at the elementary school level, along with two more ESL teachers. An assistant principal would be hired to split time between Northside and Gardiners Avenue elementary schools.

Five curriculum associates would become department directors, and assistant directors would be added for English Language Arts and math. At the secondary level, there would be two additional clerical positions and one more bus driver.

Band would be brought back for third-grade students and the high school science curriculum would be realigned, switching the years that students will take Earth science and living environment.

Facilities upgrades would include the renovation of the locker rooms and wrestling rooms at Jonas Salk Midde School, the refurbishment of the MacArthur High School wrestling room, window replacement, new baseball scoreboards at the high schools, and new lighting in the MacArthur gymnasium, among other projects.