By ANTHONY BOTTAN
The 2008-09 budget to budget increase was nearly eight percent.
School officials thought the district would lose nearly $500,000 in state aid after Governor David Paterson proposed state-wide cuts to close a burgeoning state deficit. However, Gov. Paterson recently announced that federal stimulus money will make it possible for him to forgo $150 million in proposed state aid cuts to Long Island school districts. The federal stimulus package includes a state Fiscal Stabilization Fund that provides $48.6 billion to schools nationwide, which will be used to restore state aid levels for 2009-10 to current level. The district will also receive federal funding through the stimulus package, which includes special education and No Child Left Behind Act mandates.
Melucci said she has no idea when the restored state aid or federal funding will come, so the district will continue building its budget without the promise of extra aid. "The question is when," Melucci said of how soon the district will see the money. Director of finance and operations, Connie Robinson, agreed with Melucci. "Until we know for sure, we don't want to mislead the public," Robinson said. "We need to see it in writing."
The district's total budget for the 2009-10 school year, Melucci said, is $32,733,570. To help keep the tax levy increase to a minimum, Melucci said she asked district officials to cut back spending by 25 percent. "They didn't all make it, but they tried," she said. She noted that cuts in the budget were not to programs, but to school supplies purchases and conferences. The district also looked at cutting some high school electives, and though she was not specific, she did say the district will "tighten up" those electives that have inadequate enrollment.
Melucci added that the federal funding the district will get for special education has a stipulation attached to it. It has to be used toward a new program, she said, and since the federal funding is only for the next two years, the district has to be careful where it's spent. "It will be gone in two years," Melucci said of the federal funding. "So we'll have to look at using it on short-term projects."
The district, as it does every year, will apply $652,000 of the its surplus to the budget. Centre Avenue School and the high school will have its storm traps replaced, and that capital project will cost the district $66,000. The district also has some debt it needs to pay off due to a $78 million bond the high school received for upgrades in 2006. Though students are enjoying the new facilities at the high school, Melucci said that the debt service is part of the budget and the district has to pay back the bond. "The reality is, it is part of the budget every year," she said of the debt service.
Robinson said the district will continue to look at non-mandated programs and other places where it might be able to cut back. "We're holding off until we receive information and get our deficit reduction aid plus additional state aid," Robinson said. Melucci added that the district will continue to work on the revenue side of the budget. "It's an unusual year," she said. "We cut back and tightened things up and still the tax levy isn't where we want it to be on the revenue side. We hope that changes."
The board will adopt the budget on April 21 and will send out budget brochures by the end of April. The budget hearing is scheduled for May 7, and residents can vote on the budget on May 19.
Comments on this story? ABottan@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 246.
