Approximately $41 million of it is allocated to instruction, which includes teacher salaries. Roughly 82 percent, or $54 million, of the budget, is funded by local taxes.
Among the spending plan's highlights is funding to support the expansion of the second-grade Fundations program. Fundations, which was integrated into the kindergarten and first-grade curriculums at the beginning of the school year, is a phonics and spelling resource that helps students learn words and sentence structure.
Along with the budget, there are three other finance-related propositions on the ballot on Tuesday. Proposition 2 calls for using roughly $1.3 million of the capital reserve fund to upgrade South Middle School's curtain wall and the high school's roof and air-conditioning system. Proposition 3 would use $500,000 of the technology replacement fund for infrastructure and multimedia upgrades to middle school classrooms. Proposition 4 would establish a renovation and improvement of facilities fund, which would hold as much as $16 million plus interest.
The Herald urges residents to vote to approve the budget and all three propositions.
Bresnihan, Marcus for school board
he Lynbrook Board of Education has two seats up for grabs this year. David Penso, who served for nine years, is stepping down, and two newcomers - Ellen Marcus and Mimi Rosen - will face off for his seat. Meanwhile, Alicemarie Bresnihan, whose 33-year tenure on the board is the second-longest in the Nassau County school system, is being challenged - for the first time many years - by Lawrence Lombardo.
You might think that at this point, Bresnihan might be tired or bored or just ready to call it quits. From what we can see, though, that is certainly not the case: She is just as vibrant and enthusiastic as she was when she started. The mother of nine children, all of whom were educated in Lynbrook, Bresnihan still has a lot to offer. She lobbies, attends conferences and workshops, and seems to have the needs of the schools, the students and village taxpayers at heart.
Her opponent, Lombardo, is running for a school board seat for the sixth time. He has challenged the board many times over the years, and has even sued the district and its administrators. He envisions many changes if he were to join the board, such as televising the meetings and the creation of a separate budget and finance committee.
Although these ideas are ambitious, the Herald believes that the district will be better served by Bresnihan's presence. We hope Lombardo will continue to question the board - and that he will put his trust in the trustees, new and old, and work with them on his initiatives. Reminded of the adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," we enthusiastically endorse Bresnihan.
Rosen says she believes that the community and the school can and should work together. She believes that communication is vital to working out problems and coming up with solutions, and she has been PTA president at Waverly, Lynbrook South and Lynbrook High School. Her goals, which include finding practical solutions to the need for additional classroom space and developing and improving communication between home and school, are commendable.
Marcus comes to the election with a legal background in education. As a hearing officer in the Sewanhaka School District, she has firsthand knowledge of the administrative workings of a school. She is also a member of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation board. She says that the current school board is doing a good job, but there is always room for improvement. Her legal background, combined with her diabetes board experience, is evidence to us that she has the negotiating skills required, and that she is most capable of the conciliation and collaboration needed to effect positive change for the students and taxpayers alike.
Both candidates are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, but Marcus has the edge because of her background and her experience as a member of a board. Her focus on the interaction between the school district and the community makes her the most qualified candidate for the Board of Education.
Voters can cast their ballots on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at South Middle School, North Middle School and Lynbrook High School.
EAST ROCKAWAY
Approve school spending plan
The East Rockaway school district has a proposed 2008-09 budget of $32 million, and, thanks to $2 million more in state aid next year, the tax levy increase will be kept to a very reasonable 3.7 percent. (The county average is 4.07 percent.) Just over 69 percent of the budget will fund programs, while 15 percent is earmarked for administrative costs, and 16 percent for capital improvements.
We are happy to hear that the school newspaper is being reinstated. The future of journalism is in the hands of these aspiring writers, and they need a place to hone their skills. The school also will be getting the Connect-ED(r), a service that enables administrators to record, schedule, send and track personalized voice messages to tens of thousands of students, parents and staff in minutes.
It may be the smallest school district in Nassau County, but East Rockaway has produced excellent students, with 97 percent of graduates going on to college and 98 percent of fifth-graders meeting state standards on their Social Studies Assessment tests.
Along with the budget, there are two propositions on the slate. Propositions 2 and 3 would create two capital reserve funds, Prop 2's for technology replacement and Prop 3's for building improvements and repairs.
If the budget does not pass, curriculum, facilities, staffing and special programs could all be affected. We urge residents to vote yes on the spending plan and its propositions
For school board, Schmidt and Schloth
Although they are running unopposed, Board of Education candidates Linda Schmidt and Neil Schloth deserve your vote. Schmidt has been on the board since February, appointed to occupy the seat vacated by Bill Barton. She has shown herself to be a team player, and has said that joining the board during budget time gave her a feel for just how much is involved in balancing the needs of the students with keeping expenses down.
Schloth has been active in the district and the community for many years, having been a leader of the Junior Fire Department and a soccer coach. His commitment to education and community involvement make him an ideal candidate for the school board.
Going forward, we hope board members listen to people outside the school community. It is the Board of Education's role to advocate for improved education and facilities, to represent the district's children and their parents. But we find that most school boards don't do a good job at a less obvious responsibility: proactively reaching out to the business community and village officials, local service organizations and civic associations. The entire community supports the children in school, and pays for the teachers, administrators and staff with their property and income taxes. Board members must get out of the school buildings, visit other worlds within the district and get to know the larger community's issues and struggles. All taxpayers, with and without children in the district, need to know that school leaders are listening.
We also urge school board members to familiarize or re-familiarize themselves with the state open meetings law. The public has a clear right to see its elected leaders' decisions being made; too many boards go into private executive sessions without revealing why, as they are required to by law. Citizens, too, should visit New York's Committee on Open Government Web site at www.dos.state.ny.us/coog/coogwww.html. We must all demand that governments at all levels, including school boards and administrations, operate with transparency, and explain - in English, not education jargon - why they do what they do.
Voting will take place on Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. in East Rockaway High School's small gym.
