By Scott Brinton
The $118 million spending plan, up from $113 million in the current year, includes a 4.86 percent increase in expenditures.
The public will vote on the Central District budget on Tuesday, May 20, along with the component elementary district budgets.
Cynthia Regal, Bellmore-Merrick's assistant superintendent for business, said increased heating oil and electric costs are driving up the district's budget, along with rising pension and insurance contributions. Regal, however, said the spending increases will, in part, be offset by a bigger-than-expected state aid package.
The state budget allocated nearly $30.7 million in education aid for Bellmore-Merrick next year, up from $29.8 million. State aid is set to rise to its highest level since 2000, when aid accounted for 19.5 percent of the Bellmore-Merrick budget. Regal said, however, that even with the larger aid package, the state's contribution will account for 16.3 percent of next year's budget.
Regal warned also that the state might have to take back part of its aid package mid-year unless it can balance its budget, and she said the district might fall short next year if oil prices continue to rise precipitously. She noted that next year's fuel budget is based on oil at $125 a barrel, but market analysts are predicting that oil could rise to $200 a barrel in the next two years.
If the public were to vote down the district's proposed budget, the spending increase would be capped at 3.36 percent, Regal said, meaning the budget would fall to a little more than $117 million, a $1.5 million reduction.
If that were to occur, services would have to be cut, she said. Services that might be eliminated include:
¥Summer school.
¥Community use of buildings.
¥Expansion of the Virtual Enterprise and Project Lead the Way programs. Virtual Enterprise is a computer-based business program, and Project Lead the Way is a pre-engineering program.
¥New staff.
¥Clubs.
¥Athletics.
Comments about this story? Sbrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.
