By ANTHONY BOTTAN
The district-s proposed school budget for the upcoming 2009-10 school year is $68,452,958 a 3.17 percent increase from last year-s budget. School officials thought that the district would lose nearly $1 million in state aid after Governor David Paterson proposed state-wide cuts to close a burgeoning state deficit. However, Paterson recently announced that federal stimulus money will make it possible for him to nix $150 million in proposed state aid cuts to Long Island school districts and restore state aid levels for 2009-10 to current levels. Lynbrook will also receive around $345,000 in federal funding for special education.
Since Barbarino said he has not gotten any word on when the district will receive its restored state aid or special education funding, district officials will continue structuring the budget without the promised aid. We have to put [the budget] to bed, he said. Assistant Superintendent of Business, Dr. Melissa Burak, said the reduction in state aid has put the district in a precarious situation, where certain programs might have to be cut to minimize the tax levy increase. It-s forced us to make decisions, Burak said.
One of the program that the district had to cut was a pilot laptop program the district started this year for its fifth-graders. It was a five-year plan, Barbarino said, but the district has been forced to abandon the program. This has crippled us, Barbarino said of the reduction in state aid.
Burak added that the special education federal funding the district hopes to receive has a stipulation attached. Fifty percent of the funding, she said, must be used on a new program.
Burak noted that every line of the budget has been refined and scrutinized to ensure that the district maintains its core mission, while not overburdening tax payers. Twenty positions have been cut during the budget process, Burak said, as well as some courses on the secondary level due to low enrollment. The positions we cut back on...the circumstances warrant it, she said.
The district will cut the daytime SAT prep program an elective but Barbarino said they will look into bringing back the evening SAT program. Also being discussed is Proposition 2, which would use $375,000 of the capital reserve for three capital projects in the district. The North Middle school needs a new roof and air conditioner upgrades; the high school needs new bleachers and the Kindergarten Center needs a new boiler.
Barbarino said he has never seen such a state of confusion with the federal funding the district is supposed to receive and when it will come. I just wish that they would have some sense of timing the districts have so that we know what we-re getting; we know how to use it; and so we can share it with the community, he said.
The board will have a public budget session on April 1 and the board will adopt the budget on April 21. Residents can vote on the budget on May 17.
