Huntington Eyes $114M School Budget

The Huntington Board of Education Monday night reviewed next year's proposed budget, which was buoyed by the restoration of $442,000 in state aid.

Superintendent James W. Polansky went through an accounting of revenues and budget highlights of the budget, which will grow to $114,707,235 with a 3.5 percent tax rate increase over the current year's budget of just under $112 million.

A category of funding know as high state aid was restored at the end of last week when the state Legislature passed the state budget. The funding was restored to the current year's levels.

“In this fiscal climate, every dollar counts. The restoration of high tax aid is clearly something that we and other Long Island districts were counting on in an effort to address the challenges posed by the state tax levy limit, as well as rising pension and insurance costs,” Polansky said Tuesday.  Gov. Andrew Cuomo had initially proposed seriously reducing funds for schools that depend the most on local property taxes.

Board members and the superintendent noted that the proposed budget avoids the major program cuts that occurred in recent years.

Polansky also said that efforts to establish a STEM program--science, technology, engineering and math--rest entirely on winning federal money and grants. The plan is to turn Jack Abrams into a magnet school for STEM study.

The board will vote on adopting the budget on April 15, with a budget hearing set for May 13 and public vote and election on May 21.

Several students were recognized for their successes in science competitions and as athletes.

Patch will report later Wednesday and Thursday on the STEM programs of both the Huntington and South Huntington school districts.