By Hector Flores
Sheldon Dumain, the Bellmore superintendent, reviewed the numbers at last week's Board of Education board meeting. The board added that that next year's budget increase is 6.77 percent.
Residents will vote on the budget on Tuesday, May 17.
According to Richard Snyder, business official and assistant superintendent of the Bellmore School District, the 2005-06 budget was developed with input from the Board of Education, central and school administrators, and other personnel.
"The Board of Education cut $650,000 and still maintained the high quality of instructional services our community has come to expect," Snyder said.
The assistant superintendent explained that the budget increase results from rising health insurance, retirement, insurance and transportation costs, as well as unfunded mandates from the federal and state governments.
"In the late 1980s, state aid funded almost 30 percent of the budget," he said. "For the 2005-06 school year, state aid will only be 12.9 percent. A small token increase in state aid has done little to close this gap."
Snyder also said that if the proposed budget fails, the district might face a contingency budget, which would force the Board of Education to cut $700,000 from the budget.
"These cuts would have a dramatic effect on the quality of our instructional programs," he said. "On Tuesday, May 3, the Board of Education will conduct a budget hearing. I encourage all members of the community to attend this meeting."
Janet Goller, district trustee and president of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District Board of Education, said that the Central district budget is set to increase 7.27 percent, and the tax levy increase is 8.99 percent.
According to Goller, the Central School District is among the most cost-efficient districts in Nassau County. In 2003-04, the cost per student was $14,026, the sixth lowest out of 44 school districts.
In Bellmore, "state aid is still significantly lower than in past years," Goller said. "While current state aid represents 15 percent of our proposed budget for 2005-06, it has steadily declined over the past 15 years from as high as 28 percent."
The tax increase for the Central High School District will cover: the addition of 17 teachers needed for the middle schools' new ninth period; three guidance counselors to serve each high school; and to cover the estimated increase of 192 students.
According to Goller, the addition of a ninth period in the middle schools will enable for language instruction beginning in the seventh grade. In addition, the extra period will allow for writing enrichment in the seventh and eighth grades.
"In addition, the extra period will allow us to offer fuller support in both math and reading," Goller said. "Finally, teachers will now have greater time for team meetings, which are an essential component of the middle-school philosophy."
Goller explained that voting down the budget would not guarantee a significant decrease in taxes. According to Goller, if residents vote down the Central budget and adopt the contingency budget, it would save homeowners $42 per household, per year.
"The savings of $42 is a costly savings," Goller said. "The contingency budget will result in significant cuts in areas such as equipment, summer programs, ninth period in middle schools, seventh-grade teams, assistant coaches, field trips, clubs and staff positions."
Comments? Hflores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
