By Jason Scheer
Dr. Carol Eisenberg, superintendent of schools, and Dr. Christine Grucci, assistant superintendent for business and operations, presented the instructional portion of the draft budget, which totals $45,467,052, up about $2.5 million (5.5 percent) from the current budget.
As is common throughout school districts on Long Island, the biggest increase in the budget is in employee benefits. The draft budget, an early and unofficial version of the budget that will be voted on by residents on May 17, calls for $8,050,500 in benefits, an increase of $804,500 over this year's total. The majority of the increase comes from increased payments to the Teachers' Retirement System. District payments to the system are to increase from $301,000 in 2004-05 to $497,000 in the 2005-06 draft budget. Grucci said that these payments are set by New York state's pension system and are unavoidable.
Another tremendous spike in the budget comes in the area of Special Education expense hearings evaluations. The draft budget calls for $76,500 in this area, compared with $37,000 in 2004-05. The increase is the result of increased litigation against the school, Eisenberg said. She said that in recent years, parents of students with special needs have been suing the school district for the cost of tuition at private schools. These parents are seeking to send their children elsewhere despite what district officials have deemed a "free and appropriate" education plan for their children.
"We have to continually fight the increases in these suits," Eisenberg said.
She said that the school district has been winning most of the hearings. But parents typically appeal the decision, creating more litigation fees for the district. "The problem is, we have to keep winning and keep spending money on litigation," Eisenberg said. "We hope to stem the tide as the parents keep trying to have us pay for these private school tuitions."
Most of the other items in the budget have remained relatively steady.
Other areas of the budget were scheduled to be discussed at a separate hearing on March 29, after press time. The final budget that will be presented to voters was to be ratified at Tuesday's meeting.
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