By:Robert Remler
The value of education in Valley Stream - at least by one way of measurement - has cracked the $120 million mark. Next week, May 15, voters are being asked to approve school budgets in their elementary school district and their high school district. In all, Valley Stream educates more than 8,000 students with a combined projected cost in all four districts of $120,674,289 for all four districts.
High School District Superintendent Ronald Valenti said one of the reasons why his district has asked for a larger budget is to reduce class sizes. He said that the high school district expects an increased enrollment of four percent in the coming year. The district's objective is to reduce class size to 25 to 29 students.
"This budget provides an extensive Academic Intervention Program to help students perform on English Language Arts and Mathematics state assessments as well as a Director of Guidance position." He said the budget will strengthen district leadership.
Valenti said he would respond to those who oppose budget increases by pointing out that "as enrollment grows and the demand for meeting state standards increases, we must invest in reasonable increases to maintain educational excellence." The district's 5.2 percent tax rate increase is among the lowest in Nassau County, he said.
Dr. Edward Fale, schools superintendent of District 24, thinks that changing expectations in the educational system is one reason why districts are asking for larger budgets.
"New York State has drastically changed the mandated programs over the last three years," he said. "The focus has been on raising the bar to achieve higher expectations for the children. Unfortunately, while the requirements necessitate new programs, state aid increases lag behind the costs of state mandated programs, therefore they are required to be supported by real property tax levies."
Visible changes that will occur in District 24 if the budget is passed will include the addition of full-day kindergarten.
Also, the district intends to expand its inclusion program, improve ball fields and playgrounds, purchase more library books, implement a literacy program and install a data warehousing system for student records.
District 30's Superintendent Lawrence McGoldrick said his district asked for a larger budget for several reasons. "The budget will support the increase in enrollment we are experiencing and enable us to provide necessary and mandated services to our children as well as maintain a safe environment for learning."
McGoldrick said he has never encountered a negative response to his district's proposed budgets. "Our community has demonstrated in each of the past 10 years their ongoing commitment to sound education. I am hopeful that after careful review of the proposed budget the same level of community support will continue."
District 13's superintendent of schools, Margaret Daugherty, said that one reason why her district has asked for a larger budget relates to a commitment to reduce class sizes and the hiring of five additional classroom positions. "It is important to note that by reducing class sizes, the district will become eligible to receive a state grant for $170,000 to fund additional teachers."
District 13's request also relates to costs of goods and services that are beyond the control of the district, said Daugherty. "These include the increased costs associated with heating oil, transportation and fuel costs, as well as health insurance benefits."
The district is attempting to balance "the need to provide a quality education for the children of the community and the ability of the residents to financially support this effort," said Daugherty. Local realtors have told Daugherty, she said, that her district's schools "have a very good reputation and that, in turn, helps to keep the property values up."
Kevin Murphy, student council president at Central High School, believed that school boards should put their money toward more teachers. "During the coming years there will be a lot of new students coming into the district," he said. Murphy said that allocating more towards teachers would meet the needs of a growing enrollment.
Sandi Ellis, mother of Lori Ellis, North High School's student council president, also thought that budgets should allow for the hiring of new teachers. "Teachers are the future of the schools," she said. Ellis believed that the better qualified the teacher the better the end result.
Liz Shaw, co-president of the Central and Memorial PTSA, said that she personally realized that tax increases were inevitable. Speaking for herself, and not the membership, she said: "I am not thrilled about it. But, there are a lot of things mandated by the state that we have to have in there." She cited the district's expected increased enrollment as one of the factors that needed to be taken into consideration. "I have always been one to vote for the budget," she said. No one likes to see tax increases get "real high", she said. "But, this is something we have to have."
George Malekian, a 52-year resident of the village, understood the importance of education but wondered about the results districts are getting. "If the money that we spend brings us a better educated youngster, then the money is worth it no matter what. If it doesn't turn out that way, then it is wasted money."
Malekian, a member of the Board of Zoning and Appeals, said that recent educational statistics that demonstrate recent results were "disheartening." He
recognized difficulty teachers have in the current cultural climate.
