By Laura Lane
The spending plan totals $24.8 million, a 5.19 percent increase over the current budget, and includes a 4.69 percent tax levy increase.
David Feller, the district's superintendent, said the tax levy had been reduced considerably, and might have been as high as 7 percent were it not for the $6.4 million in state aid the district has been promised. Feller added that he is not certain whether the district will receive $120,888 of that money, which is earmarked for building aid for prior years' projects. District administrators plan to speak to the State Office of Facilities Management to receive clarification.
"The consumer price index is at 4 percent," said John Rossi, vice president of the board. "A 5.1 percent increase is only a point higher. I think that's pretty good."
The public will vote on the budget on May 20. Trustees Jonathan Butler and Dr. Matthew Kuschner are running for reelection unopposed.
North Merrick Library update
The North Merrick Library sent a letter to the district's attorney, Albert A. D'Agostino, regarding library pension funds. At a joint meeting some months ago, library trustees agreed to take a pension contribution from the district, phasing in the turnover between now and July 1, 2009. In its letter, the library requested that the board lengthen the phase-in period to four years.
School board Trustee Dr. Matthew Kuschner said the board should not agree to the library's request to change the phase-in process because at a public meeting held at the library on March 18, library trustees said they had a CD set aside for their retirement of their employees.
"We were told at a budget meeting on Feb. 5 that they have a CD earmarked for retirement for $101,000," Kuschner said in a telephone interview. "It's been open for the past three years. The library is sitting on a CD, so I think they can fund the transition of the pension right now."
The board voted unanimously to have D'Agostino notify the library that it would not approve the extension.
In other news ...
Laurie Ciliotta tried to ask a question during the public session but was told that she could not do so. Board President Linda Fuller asked Ciliotta if she was planning to speak about an issue they had discussed in private prior to the meeting. When Ciliotta said yes, Fuller said it would not be possible.
"We need to protect the confidentiality of the children," Fuller said. "We will meet with you during the executive session."
"The public has to be aware of a vote that has to do with the welfare of their children," Ciliotta responded.
At that moment, a man in the back of the room said he would like to hear what Ciliotta had to say, since his child goes to school with her child.
Fuller said that that wouldn't be possible, and that board members had to discuss among themselves how the issue would be handled.
Rossi added that the school board meeting was not the "right forum to speak about an individual child."
Fuller then offered to meet individually with any parent who had a concern, during the executive session following the public meeting.
Later, Michelle Gains said she believed that the inability to communicate was an ongoing issue among residents and the board. "There is an ongoing issue of community trust between the board and us," Gains said. "I don't understand why it's confidentiality if she isn't naming names. We need open communication and transparency."
Ciliotta is the mother of a fifth-grade girl who was the victim of an incident at Camp Avenue in October when a fifth-grade boy threatened three students with a pellet gun. The boy was suspended for the rest of the school year.
