By Andrew Hackmack
Several parents expressed their opposition to a plan to cut the daytime SAT prep course for juniors, which is offered as an elective and is run by Princeton Review. The program costs the district about $130,000. Linda Kettering explained that there is a strong emphasis on preparing children for standardized testing at the elementary and junior high levels, and for older students, she said, the focus is getting into college. "These kids need to be prepared," she said.
Bernstein said that Valley Stream is one of -- if not the only -- district in Nassau County that offers the Princeton Review SAT program at no cost to its students. "I don't want to denigrate the value that that class does in preparation of the SATs," he said. "Somebody said to me getting (students) into college is part of the mission of the school district and I agree."
However, Bernstein said, in tough times school officials must develop an educational plan that reflects the central mission of the school district. "SAT is not part of the core of what we do," he said.
Parent Janice Sievers said eliminating the SAT program, as well as the summer driver's education program, is not right. "My concern about these two programs is they unfairly target a certain segment -- the incoming 11th graders," she said. "These particular kids will be affected by two or more cuts."
As an alternative to the current SAT program, the district is considering a six-week after-school program at a cost of $499 per student, with the district picking up $100 of that. A live online course, which students would be working directly with an instructor through the Internet, would also be available at the same price.
A third option is an online course providing students with 120 days of access to the program, to use at their own leisure, at a cost of $250, with the district chipping in $100.
Bernstein said that about 80 percent of households in the Valley Stream Central High School District do not have children in the public schools. When putting together a budget, he said, school officials must be responsive to all constituents. Bernstein said that while a room full of parents and students might feel one way, citizens with no connection to the school district want every expense justified especially when the economy is down.
Vicky Pranzo, whose son is a senior at South, said she does not want to see programs cut even though he wouldn't be affected. She said she would support a spending plan that maintained programs. "I would vote for that budget; I would pay those taxes," she said.
Pranzo added that the district typically does not have trouble passing its budget on the first try and questioned why then the cuts were being considered. "What I'm hearing is you want more money and you're giving us less for it," she said.
Bernstein explained that cuts to non-essential programs were better than the alternative -- cutting teachers and pushing class sizes as high as 30 students. Other recommended cuts include junior varsity "B" teams, an elective program for 9th and 10th graders, an ESL and special education "push-in" program, about $250,000 in supplies, and some non-teaching positions.
Bernstein has presented three budget scenarios to the Board of Education, with one maintaining all programs and two others that would cut programs and some staff positions. The most extreme scenario would mean about $1.37 million in cuts and result in a tax levy increase of less than 4 percent. If no cuts were made, the tax levy hike would be closer to 6 percent.
None of his scenarios take into account the likelihood of additional state aid, however, and are based on Gov. David Paterson's proposed cuts -- with the high school district taking about a $2 million hit. Since the governor's budget proposal came out in December, the federal government has passed its stimulus package which includes stabilization aid to the states. Bernstein said he doesn't know what Valley Stream's share would be, and therefore cannot update the numbers.
"We still have a major lack of information from government," he said. "We anticipate getting some, most, all of that back, but we don't know for sure."
Bernstein said that if state aid is restored, he wants to use it to offset the tax levy -- bringing the increase down to about 2 percent -- rather than restoring programs. "There are choices to be made," he said. "These choices are made by the school board."
Assistant Superintendent for Finance Wayne Loper said that in a meeting with business officials from a dozen other school districts in southwest Nassau, they all have the same plans for any additional state aid.
Bernstein said that the district plans to use $5.4 million from its surplus toward next year's school budget. He noted that the district is allowed to keep up to 4 percent of its budget in a reserve fund for emergencies. Anything over that 4 percent must go back to the taxpayers. While the money doesn't go directly back to people in the form of a check, it is instead used to offset the tax levy.
Several parents questioned why the district keeps so much money in the bank, saying these uncertain economic times constitute an emergency. Bernstein acknowledged that the district doesn't have to keep the full 4 percent but said it is good practice to do so.
Bernstein explained that the school district's situation is no different from anywhere else. "Every level of government is cutting services and some are raising taxes," he said.
The Board of Education will hold its next budget meeting on Monday, March 30 at 8 p.m. at Memorial Junior High School. Sievers said parents will continue to express their concerns about these cuts. "We're all going to plan on showing up again on Monday night," she said. "People are now really angry."
