Huntington Sets Budget Meetings and Topics
With turmoil roiling state and national economies and with New York facing a massive budget deficit, the Huntington School Board is set to tackle development of the district’s 2009/10 budget at four public meetings spread over seven weeks.
Administrators have been working on a draft of the document and trustees are now ready to examine all areas of spending and services. The School Board will make final decisions during the four meetings prior to adopting the plan on April 20 and sending it to local residents for an up and down vote on May 19.
School officials said they are very aware of the financial tumult and know that difficult choices are required. “These are tough times for everyone in the country,” Superintendent John J. Finello said. “We need to look very closely at everything we are doing as a district. All areas need to be scrutinized for possible savings.”
Each of the budget meetings will begin at 7:30 p.m. and be held in the auditorium of Jack Abrams Intermediate School on Lowndes Avenue in Huntington Station. The public is welcome to attend and will be given two opportunities to address trustees.
Each meeting will focus on specific budget topics according to the following schedule:
March 2
- General overview of the budget process to date;
- Function areas dealing with central administration and general support;
- Debt service and inter-fund transfers;
- Capital projects.
March 16
- Curriculum and instruction;
- Special education and pupil personnel;
- Co-curricular activities and interscholastic athletics.
March 30
- Staffing;
- Transportation;
- Employee benefits.
April 20
- Revenues;
- Recap of the budget;
- Budget adoption by trustees
Once it is released, a copy of the draft budget will be posted on the district’s website at www.hufsd.edu and also be available in the district’s business office and in each of the eight school buildings.
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