Herald Community Newspapers
The Bellmore Elementary District budget is set to increase about $1.5 million, to $27.5 million, in 2007-08, which represents a 5.98 percent increase over the current year. We encourage all residents to turn out and support Bellmore's sound fiscal plan on Tuesday.
Bellmore is among the most respected school districts on Long Island's South Shore. It sets the standard for elementary technology and foreign language education, offering Spanish in grades one to six. Over the years, Bellmore's test scores have only risen. It recently placed among the top 10 districts in Nassau County.
Bellmore also offers an outstanding gifted program and a number of special services to help students improve their reading and math skills. The Herald lends its support to a chorus of parents offering praise for the Bellmore School District and its 2007-08 budget.
Support N. Bellmore's 2007-08 budget
Once again, the North Bellmore Board of Education and administration have assembled a fiscally sound school budget that respects both students and taxpayers. The district's $42 million 2007-08 spending plan preserves vital student services - including the district's renowned arts program and its new sixth-grade foreign language program.
A number of parents hoped to see the foreign-language program expanded to the lower grades this year. However, with the district facing millions of dollars in facilities repairs, we fully understand why school officials are taking a wait-and-see approach to enlarging the program.
We should note that North Bellmore's per-pupil spending is the lowest among the four local elementary districts - and among the lowest on Long Island. Yet the district's test results are exemplary.
For all these reasons and more, we enthusiastically endorse North Bellmore's 2007-08 budget and encourage local residents to vote for it on Tuesday.
