Trustees Continue Budget Consideration
Huntington School Board members are wrestling with a series of difficult choices as trustees continue their line-by-line review of a draft budget to fund district operations during the 2009/10 school year. The final plan will go to residents for a public vote on Tuesday, May 19.
School officials are hoping that federal stimulus funds allotted to the state will be passed on to the Huntington School District and fill the void created by proposed cuts contained in Governor David Paterson’s budget, which would drastically reduce state aid for education.
Trustees are also concerned that a large decline in assessed property values could cause a rise in the tax rate and there are additional worries about the MTA’s proposed “mobility tax” on business payrolls that could cost the district more than $100,000.
The second edition of the draft budget pegs proposed spending at $105,188,003 or $1,570,589 more than the current year’s budget. The increase in spending was held to 1.52 percent through cuts in personnel and programs and reductions in equipment and supply lines.
The draft budget carries a projected tax increase of 3.53 percent, from $190.46 per $100 of assessed valuation to $197.18. The draft plan does not take into account any federal stimulus monies that might flow to the district.
“We are continuing to review all areas of the budget and refining the figures in it as we get updated information,” Superintendent John J. Finello said. Trustees will hold another public meeting on Monday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Jack Abrams Intermediate School on Lowndes Avenue in Huntington Station.
In two previous budget meetings, residents have crowded into the auditorium to address trustees on some of the proposed personnel and program reductions. School Board members are trying to develop a plan that will keep any tax increase to a minimum and ultimately gain public approval, while at the same time maintaining the core of the educational and co-curricular program that is currently in place.
The proposed budget reductions will touch all eight schools in the district and reach into every department, including athletics and music. “These are challenging times, but working together, we will get through this,” Mr. Finello said. “We intend to continue providing our 4,400 students with an exceptional educational and co-curricular program and with well-maintained facilities.”
District officials are looking to moderate a possible large increase in transportation costs and limit spending across the board. The draft budget contains no increase for electric ($560,000), telephone services ($200,000) or natural gas ($375,000) and cuts the line for fuel oil by $13,200 to $118,800. BOCES expenses are being reduced by $130,782 to a proposed $5,073,870. A slight decrease of $19,561 in liability insurance premiums will reduce insurance expenses for $573,439.
Assistant Superintendent Joseph Giani will make a presentation related to personnel needs at the next meeting of trustees on March 30. Mr. Giani will explain various changes in expected staffing levels that are due to a combination of budget reductions and changes in courses and enrollment. At the same meeting, Assistant Superintendent David H. Grackin will explain projected costs for employee benefits.
An updated draft budget is also expected to be released to the public during the March 30 meeting. The updated budget will also be posted on the district’s website at www.hufsd.edu.
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