Endorsements

Vote for school budgets, bond, trustees

Posted

Bellmore-Merrick Central District Superintendent John DeTommaso recently said the district’s 2015-16 spending plan has the potential to be “one of the best budgets in Bellmore-Merrick in the last 10 years,” noting that, if passed, it would restore previously cut teaching and administrative positions and reduce class sizes, particularly for special-education classes.

Voting for next year’s Central District budget is thus a no-brainer.
Central’s spending plan is slated to increase to a little over $142.8 million, up from $139.4 million this year. The district will remain within a state-mandated 2 percent cap on the tax levy, the total amount that a municipality must raise in taxes to meet expenses.

The Central District is helped by a reduction in insurance and retirement contributions for employees, which is freeing up money for programs, according to DeTommaso.
In recent years, the Central District, like so many surrounding districts, had seen double-digit increases in its health-insurance premiums. Now, with healthcare costs stabilizing, premium increases have been in the single digits. At the same time, with the stock market rebounding after it was crushed during the recession of 2007-08, the district is required to contribute significantly less to its Employee Retirement System and Teacher Retirement System accounts.

For TRS alone, the district will see a $2.37 million reduction in payments next year.
The savings will allow the Central District to:

•Implement plans for new magnet culinary and broadcast programs. The culinary program will be held at Kennedy High School in Bellmore, and the broadcast program, at Mepham High School in North Bellmore.

n Add social studies and world languages chairpeople, as well as a director of fine art and an assistant director of special education.

n Add English as a New Language and special-education teachers, nurses and security personnel.

Page 1 / 3