By Matthew McGevna
The budget for the 2007-08 school year calls for a 4.3 percent increase, as projections will raise spending from the current $48.5 million to $50,753,563 for the district. At the meeting held on March 6, school officials guided the audience through the non-instructional portion of the proposed budget, which focuses on items such as health insurance for non-instructors, transportation and building maintenance.
Assistant Superintendent Rich Cunningham led the discussion using a PowerPoint presentation that divided the budget into five categories: general support, health services, transportation, community services and undistributed expenses.
General support increase
In the general support category, the school cited a 3.62 percent increase from the current budget, which lingers just around the rate of inflation. General support will actually see an overall decrease in legal and auditing expenses, while anticipating an increase in utility costs and contractual obligations. Cunningham attributed the decreases to fewer impartial meetings in special education and rather than hiring an entire CPA firm, the district hired an individual auditor to oversee its internal operations.
Health services decrease
In the health services category, the district is projecting an overall 1.17 percent decrease in expenses, saying that it is not anticipating changes in staffing levels. Cunningham noted that the school will need to purchase vision screening machines for the George Washington and Cornwell Avenue Elementary schools. The biggest decrease in the line item budget is in psychologist expenses, where costs will be cut from $111,313 to $61,702 due to a retirement in one of the private schools with which the school district shares expenses.
Transportation increase
The district¹s transportation budget calls for a 5.01 percent overall increase, largely due to the rate of inflation and the estimated cost of bus routes that have been newly bid on. Cunningham pointed out that there will be no additional increase in this budget even if the proposition to change the mileage limitations for fourth- and fifth-graders should pass on May 15.
Currently, first-, second- and third-graders must be transported if they live more than 3/4 of a mile from the school, while fourth- and fifth-graders must live farther than one mile. That means if a fifth-grade student lives 8/10 of a mile from the school and has a third-grade brother, the younger brother gets transportation, while the fifth-grader must find his own way to school. District officials are proposing to amend these restrictions so that students in grades 1 through 5 all must live farther than 3/4 of a mile from school to be bused. Cunningham said that the proposition, if passed, would not add buses or stops because the routes are already in place.
Community services decrease
A drastic, $7,700 decrease in the community services budget is being projected. The 52.38 percent cut is attributed to removing the cost of the school¹s 2006-07 census and demographic studies. The study is being completed and will not be continued in the 2007-08 academic year.
Undistributed expenses increase
The budget projects a 3.29 percent increase in undistributed expenses, a category that primarily deals with the NYS Teachers Retirement System, The NYS Employers Retirement System, insurance and debt services. The increase hovers around the rate of inflation, and the district cites a greater contribution from employees as a reason for the leveling of insurance increases. The projections noted that payments to the Employers Retirement System have decreased, while payments into the Teachers Retirement system has gone up, creating a difference of $70,000 in increases from the current budget.
The next meeting
Next Tuesday at 8 p.m., the school district will hold its next open budget workshop to discuss the instructional portion of the budget proposal. District officials say they will be continually revising the budget numbers until its final board approval. At the workshops, the Board of Education hands out copies of the line item budget, explains its justifications for each category and fields questions from the audience. The meetings take place at the West Hempstead Middle School cafeteria. The public vote on the budget is set to take place on May 15.
sidebar:
Building inspection report
unveils plans for future
Included in the proposed budget is the West Hempstead School District¹s report of the conditions on all 44 acres of district property. The budget calls for $127,350 in total expenses for a number of maintenance and repairs at all four schools in the district. The projects break down as follows:
George Washington Elementary School: $35,000
n Replacement of floor tiles in rooms 115, 116.
n Installation of camera on New York Ave. side of building to curb rash of vandalism at school
n Removal of floor tiles in stairway
n Replacement of rugs in portable classrooms
Cornwell Avenue School: $13,000
n Replacement of floor tile in science room
n Repair gymnasium floor
West Hempstead Middle School: $32,100
n Replacement of lockers in boys¹ locker room
n Replacement of light fixtures on front walkway
West Hempstead High School: $47,250
n Replacement of 18 student table countertops in science laboratories
n Stripping and repainting gymnasium floor lines
n Resurfacing the high school track
n Replacement of garage door for the football team
