School Budget Decision Day Approaches
These are trying times economically and that hasn't been lost on Huntington School District officials who spent months drafting a spending plan to fund operations during the 2012/13 school year. The final product maintains all current programs and provides for enhanced student technology equipment in all four primary grade buildings and the Woodhull School computer lab.
The budget that was unanimously adopted by district trustees during a public meeting on April 16 culminated a process that began last summer and continued throughout the fall and winter and into the spring. Voters will have the final say on the spending plan when they go to the polls on Tuesday, May 15.
"Our new superintendent, Jim Polansky and his staff began in August to plan and prepare this budget, keeping the Board of Education and the public informed and educated about the process and the ever-changing legislation that affect our local schools," Huntington School Board President Emily Rogan said. "We believe this budget to be fiscally responsible and educationally sound."
Stays Within Tax Cap
The $111,858,780 plan represents an increase in spending of 2.59 percent over the current year's budget. It would require a tax levy increase of 2.21 percent. The figure is within the state's tax cap law.
If residents approve the budget on May 15, the tax rate would increase by a projected 2.89 percent or about $218.64 (before STAR program savings are calculated) on the average home assessed at $3,650.
"We worked diligently to formulate a 2012/13 budget within the confines of the newly instituted tax cap, but also one that maintains the quality of programs and services that have come to define the Huntington schools," Superintendent James W. Polansky said.
Officials trimmed hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential spending during the budget development process. An intense effort was made to keep the reductions away from classroom instruction and the core academic program. The district expects to receive an additional $702,000 in state aid next year, helping to buffer the need for more painful cuts.
"We will surely continue the search for ways to control costs and economize without compromising our primary goal associated with maximizing student achievement," Mr. Polansky said.
The proposed budget allocates $570,899 for new textbooks and workbooks, $37,644 for new library books, $90,000 for computer software and $560,257 for instructional equipment, including computers and printers. It funds 63 athletic teams for high school and middle school students, 93 coaching positions and a full-time athletic trainer. It also provides for a variety of wholesome, adult supervised after-school extracurricular activities, including dozens of clubs for students.
Funds Extensive Academic Program
The budget contains funds for an extensive array of Regents, honors and Advanced Placement courses in all academic areas, supports a strong program of special education classes and services and includes monies for academic intervention services for students in need of additional assistance in meeting state graduation requirements.
More than $9.2 million is allotted in the proposed budget to bus students to and from school. This year's transportation budget reflects the costs associated with transporting 5,016 eligible students, primarily to the seven district buildings, but also to 29 parochial and private schools and 19 special needs schools on Long Island, as required by law.
The district currently contracts for 54 large buses and 67 vans to transport students. The 2012/13 budget maintains all existing mileage limits for student transportation.
Continues Cherished Programs
The proposed budget funds student drama club productions, newspapers, concerts, science and history fairs and the district art show. It continues the SEARCH and Math Olympiad programs for academically talented fifth and sixth graders. It also supports comprehensive art, music and physical education programs, including band, orchestra, chorus, marching band, music ensembles and specialized art courses.
"The budgetary process has included planning beyond 2012/13," Mr. Polansky said. "The development of detailed five-year capital and four-year technology plans, for example, have facilitated our preparation of longer-term financial projections."
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Monday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jack Abrams School auditorium. Residents will go to the polls on Tuesday, May 15 at Huntington High School between 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. For more information call the district clerk's office at 673-2126 or visit the district's website at www.hufsd.edu.