Trustees Go to Work as Draft Budget Released
During their Monday night meeting, Huntington School Board members sunk their collective teeth into a draft budget for 2010/11 that was prepared after trustees voted 5-2 several weeks ago to cap the potential tax increase at 3.5 percent. Trustees began examining all areas of spending.
In developing the plan, district officials extensively pared down expenditures to the tune of $2.985 million. The draft plan contains a 2.71 percent increase in spending to $107,850,242. The tax rate is estimated to increase from $193.97 per $100 of assessed valuation to $200.76.
The draft plan makes several assumptions, including the district’s assessed valuation remaining flat at $46,128,234. State aid is expected to decline by $315,427 to $11,946,576. The district is also projecting $1,866,100 in miscellaneous revenues and officials are recommending appropriating $1.43 million from the fund balance to hold down property taxes.
“These are difficult economic times for all Americans, including us here in Huntington,” Superintendent John J. Finello said. “Our goal in developing this budget is to be sensitive to the economic realities faced by taxpayers while at the same time providing the solid and well-rounded education our young people need.”
At Monday night’s meeting, Mr. Finello and David H. Grackin, assistant superintendent for finance and management services, provided an overview of the draft proposal and discussed a range of financial factors surrounding the plan.
The draft budget attempts to protect the core educational program and provide for strategic improvements. Building and department budgets are being reduced and there are cuts to the extracurricular club and athletics programs. Changes in scheduling practices will also provide more savings.
The budget draft does preserve the full-day kindergarten program, present bus transportation practices, the high school science research program, drama club productions, more than five dozen athletic teams, an extensive selection of clubs, the college and career counseling center, the alternative high school program, honors and advanced placement courses, reading, speech and special education services, academic competitions and science fairs and monies to purchase maintenance tools and supplies to keep the district’s eight buildings in good condition.
The largest single expense area in the budget goes to pay the salaries of professional staff members responsible for carrying out the district’s educational program. Transportation expenses are budgeted to run $8,642,186 or $300,036 more than the current year.
Expenses for the Teacher’s Retirement System will rise by $850,000 to $4.35 million and costs for the Employees Retirement System will grow by $500,000 to $1.5 million. The state is increasing the contribution rates assessed on payroll by both systems.
Medical insurance for employees is budgeted at $13,978,317, a reduction of $85,167 over the current year’s budget. The draft budget for the district’s program for students with disabilities is set at $18,213,418 or $481,645 more than 2009/10.
Trustees will spend two more meetings (Monday, March 22 and April 12) reviewing the plan, listening to public comments and evaluating updated financial projections. School Board members are scheduled to adopt the budget on Monday, April 19. A public hearing on the plan will be held on Monday, May 10. All of the meetings will be held in the Jack Abrams Intermediate School auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
Residents will go to the polls to decide the budget’s ultimate fate on Tuesday May 18 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Huntington High School.
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