Trustees Look to Finalize
School Budget
The Huntington School Board's annual budget development process is nearing its conclusion as trustees prepare to take one final look at the 2012/13 school district spending plan before finalizing it and sending it on to residents, who will cast ballots on Tuesday, May 15.
Trustees will meet again in public on Monday, April 16 in the Jack Abrams School auditorium at 7:30 p.m. The plan under consideration would raise the Huntington School District's tax levy by 2.21 percent, which is at the levy limit required by the new state legislation.
If the budget is approved by voters, spending would rise by 2.59 percent and the tax rate would increase by an estimated 2.89 percent. School taxes on the average home in the district assessed at $4,000 would rise by $239.60 before STAR program savings are applied.
"Although faced with multiple challenges, including but not limited to the new state tax levy cap, additional federal and state mandates, increased benefit costs and a struggling economy, the district has been able to limit the tax rate increase while minimizing the impact on student programs and services," Huntington School Board President Emily Rogan said.
The draft budget under consideration totals $111,858,780. District officials trimmed more than $860,000 from the carry-forward budget through staffing and scheduling efficiencies. Huntington expects to receive $702,000 more in state aid next year, mitigating the need for even deeper cuts. However, even with the year-to-year increase in state aid, Huntington will still experience a net loss of about $500,000 in aid since the 2010/11 school year.
The district has cut more than $6.5 million in spending over the past two budget cycles. Despite these reductions, school officials believe the budget contains the monies to provide an "exceptional" classroom and extracurricular experience for students.
"We will continue to provide a strong selection of Advanced Placement, Honors and Regents level courses at Huntington High School," Mrs. Rogan said. "We are pleased that this budget, at no additional cost, allows for a greater number of accelerated sections at Finley Middle School than ever before, enabling more students to challenge themselves in math and science."
District officials said they are confident the draft spending plan also addresses all the educational needs of students attending Huntington's four primary schools and Nathaniel Woodhull Intermediate School.
"At the elementary level, this budget supports a rigorous curriculum, transitioning toward the new Common Core standards, to help prepare our youngest students for the challenges that lie ahead," Mrs. Rogan said. "We will continue to fund SEARCH and Math Olympiad programs and maintain kindergarten through sixth grade class sizes within existing district guidelines."
The district is anticipating a significant decline in its total assessed property value, which has been trending lower for several years. The draft budget anticipates a drop of $300,000 in assessed value to $45,081,530. By comparison, the district's assessed value in 1990/91 stood at $49,797,684. A shrinking tax base puts upward pressure on the tax rate.
The budget trustees are finalizing also funds the purchase of 430 desktop computers and 150 printers for use in all four primary school buildings and the Woodhull School computer lab. It marks the first year of a four year plan to upgrade the district's technology program.
More information about the budget can be found on the district's website at www.hufsd.edu.