By Brian Zanzonico
Locally, the Sewanhaka Central High School District's school budget passed by more than 1,150. The Elmont school budget passed by more than 350. Franklin Square was approved by nearly as much, just two years after voters rejected the school spending plan on the first go-round.
Why did the budgets get approved with such ease? School officials said to look no further than the record amount of state aid.
"It gave us an ability to lower the tax levy," said Franklin Square Superintendent Dr. Tom Dolan. "That accounted for our budget passing and the number that passed across Nassau County."
Elmont proposed a budget of more than $65.5 million, a 6.7 percent increase over the current budget. The tax levy increase is 1.9 percent. The Franklin Square School District proposed a budget of $30.4 million, a 5.2 percent increase over the current budget. The tax levy increase is 3.9 percent. Sewanhaka proposed a budget of $141 million-plus, a 5.3 percent increase over the current budget. The tax levy increase is 1.2 percent.
"The aid we received, that was obviously a huge help," Sewanhaka Superintendent Warren Meierdiercks said.
The following is a breakdown of the total allocation of dollars in state aid to local schools:
n Elmont School District $3.57 million
n Franklin Square School District $1.32 million
n Sewanhaka Central High School District $5.54 million
Sewanhaka's plans
Four new teaching positions are provided for the district's planned educational support program for incoming and current seventh-graders, "Read 180." Meierdiercks said that the program would give students back-to-back English classes. If the budget passes, the program will begin at Elmont, Sewanhaka and H. Frank Carey high schools.More than $1.7 million in capital projects are planned for Elmont, Carey and Sewanhaka high schools alone, part of a total of $3.8 million for the five high schools and the Alva T. Stanforth Sports Complex in Elmont. If the budget passes, the improvements at Elmont High School will include:
n Refurbished first-floor bathrooms
n A renovated science room
n A new fence on Ridge Road
n A refurbished track
n New library carpeting
At Carey:
n A renovated third-floor bathroom
n Fence replacement
n A refurbished boys' locker room
n Four new doors
n A new public address system
At Sewanhaka:
n A refurbished boys' auto shop bathroom
n A renovated science room
n 100 new hall lockers
Elmont's plans
The budget includes more than $3 million in capital improvements, which, Superintendent Al Harper said, will cost taxpayers nothing thanks to the state Legislature's Excel Special Aid program. The Clara H. Carlson School auditorium is the only one in the district slated for renovation. Some schools will repair crumbling masonry on old buildings, while others will get new windows. The budget also calls for the replacement of all public address systems, which are more than a half-century old, and the purchase of a new large school bus, two student vans and one van for disabled students.
Harper said that the budget also provides for a new districtwide English Language Arts series, a fiber-optic network for all buildings and the installation of "smart boards," interactive screens that give students access to the World Wide Web, literature and other capabilities.
Franklin Square's plans
Among the improvements to Franklin Square schools will be hiring three science lab aides - one in each school - and eliminate the science teacher position. The science teacher previously worked at all three schools, and the science labs were open only when the teacher was on the premises. Dolan said with the addition of the three aides, science labs would now be open all day. Also, security cameras will be installed at the various access points in the three schools that will record 24 hours a day, and one more bus and driver will be added to the district's school bus fleet.
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