By Cindy J. Roth
About 5.53 percent of the 7.8 percent budget increase is a direct result of rising fixed costs including increases to employee benefits, pension funds, health insurance and contractual salary obligations. The district also saw unavoidable increases in special education funding, with nine additional students to be budgeted for, and in BOCES related service funding with two students participating in the BOCES cultural program next year. State law requires that school districts pay for the cost of busing students who attend private or parochial schools. The Lynbrook budget accounts for transportation for 20 additional students who will be attending school out of the district next year.
The rest of the budget increase, 2.27 percent, goes to meeting district academic needs and physical property maintenance.
The budget allows for an increase of staffing positions to accommodate increased enrollment, the establishment of a competitive swimming team for middle school girls and room renovations at the high school and renovations and room additions at South Middle School. Money has also been set aside to buy the desks and chairs needed for the four additional classrooms that are going to be created.
The budget provides funds for a curriculum mapping program that will align curriculum and time management across the district and support new teachers in lesson development and start up a web-based program used for anonymous reporting of potential problems in the school and community.
The $51,891,417 budget also includes ordinary maintenance projects and contracts including re-coating the South Middle School track, an irrigation project on the Kindergarten Center field, new playground equipment at Marion Street and ventilation work at a number of the schools.
In an effort to reduce costs, Lynbrook has used in-house staff to install cable networking and take care of asbestos removal and construction of classroom alterations at the middle and high schools. The district also uses cooperative bidding with other school districts driving down the costs of everyday common purchases.
With the state Senate and Assembly overriding Gov. George Pataki's veto of the state budget, Lynbrook is expecting to receive $5 million in state aid, $23,876 more than last year. Even though the actual dollar amount of state aid is increasing, in relation to the portion of the budget state aid revenue accounted for last year to this year is down 0.7 percent.
Proposition 2
Proposition 2 asks taxpayers to approve the expenditure of $1,475,000 from the district's capital reserve fund to pay for the addition of a chorus, band and practice rooms and storage for instruments and uniforms at South Middle School. The addition of these rooms will help to free up classroom space in the middle school where enrollment is on the rise.
The capital reserve fund was established in 2001 and is financed from unexpected appropriations or unanticipated revenues at the end of each fiscal year. The fund currently has a balance of $1,475,239.
The total cost of the project is $1,679,379. The difference between the total cost and the amount proposed in proposition two, $204,379, is included in the capital projects portion of the district budget.
Allocating money from the capital reserve fund has no effect on the tax rate or a homeowner's tax bill. A vote is simply needed to allow the district to spend the money on a specified project.
