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Schools

Huntington School Budget Cuts Loom

Staff is working up a preliminary 2011-12 budget based on a 3.5% tax hike ahead of expected tax cap.

Sounding as much like an auction as a school board meeting at times, Huntington school board members agreed Monday night to ask staff to draft a proposed 2011-12 budget with numbers based on a 3-1/2% tax increase.

The decision came amid haggling over whether to stick with the deep program and staff cuts a 2% increase would bring, figures the board had originally asked administrative staff to build a budget around so they would know the impact of a worst-case scenario.

That number came in at $107.3 million, "significantly lower than this year's budget," said Superintendent John Finello. Of that amount, $47.9 million covers salaries, $27 million goes to benefits, $7.8 million to BOCES services, and $14.6 million to cover contractual obligations. Of the money that funds district expenses, 88% to 89% comes from the tax levy.

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Of that projected $107.3 million, the breakdown is $93 million raised through the tax levy, $10.4 million through state aid, $2 million through miscellaneous revenue and $1.9 million from the appropriated fund balance. "The budget is going down and yet the traxpayer is being asked to pick up more, largely because of that hit to state aid," Finello said as he explained the $1 million difference between the proposed ($93) and this year's ($92) tax levy.

Board members also discussed asking staff to develop figures based on a somewhat less painful 4% increase, but the consensus was to start lower so everyone would see the extent of cuts.

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Even so, it wasn't low enough to please those who wanted the board to develop a working budget based on $107.3 million, a 2% increase. The auditorium was packed with teachers and residents who applauded those who spoke in favor of keeping programs intact and trying to keep class size manageable. Others supported staying close to the 2% limit.

Districts across Long Island are tightening their belts in anticipation of reduced state aid. Earlier, officials said such a cap could lead to the elimination of 68 of the approximately 435 teachers currently employed.

Susan Tully, a district resident who is a CFO and doesn't have children in district schools, applauded board member Elizabeth Black, who remained firm on wanting to hear figures for a 2% budget so everyone would know how bad the cuts would be.

"The point of a budget is to start low and add on," Tully said. She also asked for more details on the number of positions that might be cut and programs affected. "What is it we're starting with that we can react to," she asked. "A lot of people who are suffering won't approve of more than a basic budget."

To meet such a target will require spending reductions of more than $5 million dollars, according to officials, closer to $7 million, and cut into programs, academic offerings and staff reductions. Finello also noted the district's assessed property value has declined by hundreds of thousands of dollars, from $46.6 million in 2007-08 to $45.8 million in 2010-11 as residents challenge the assessed value of their homes and businesses.

The district has kept tax hikes low in recent years, so there's not a lot left to cut that won't hurt, Finello warned. "We've peeled off all the layers of the onion and now we're at the program level," he said.

Board president Bill Dwyer sought consensus on what a reasonable tax increase would be in preparing a first-round budget, which is where the haggling over an acceptable rate came in. Rather than low-ball it, he pushed for consideration of "an honest 3% or 4% increase. We've always been honest about the numbers," he said.

Each 1% increase equals about $900,000, which translates into about 9 professional staff positions, said David H. Grackin, assistant superintendent for finance and management services.

Administrators will prepare a line-item budget for the March 28 meeting that looks at how cuts would affect programs and staff levels, giving them time to notify potentially affected staff members, a point Finello and board member John Paci supported. 

Another budget workshop is set for March 14, 7:30 p.m. at Jack Abrams.

Here's  the superintendent's  budget presentation delivered at Monday's board meeting.

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