Schools

Kaden: It Doesn't Get Any Easier

The election is over, but possible budget cuts remain for the South Huntington School Board.

"I'm always glad when it's over," says Jim Kaden, regarding the campaign process which began for him back in April.

But with the election now over, the real challenge remains for Kaden and the South Huntington School Board.

No stranger to the issues facing South Huntington, Kaden has been president of the school board for 14 of the 18 years he has served on it. Soon to be entering his seventh term in July, Kaden agreed that the job gets more difficult each year but he still enjoys it. 

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And his experience will be needed.

With the slumping economy forcing what is expected to be continued education cuts at the national and state levels, the budget situation in South Huntington will most certainly be affected again next year.

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"There's a lot of things that we have to look at to cut next year," said Kaden.

In South Huntington on Tuesday, voters overwhelmingly approved the school board-approved $140 million budget which calls for a 5.91 percent tax rate increase for property owners. Middle school sports programs were salvaged from elimination by a decision by the board to use $191,000 from a reserve fund.

Kaden received 1,661 votes Tuesday - the second most votes of the four candidates in the race.

"Obviously, I'm pleased with the results, said Kaden, minutes after the winning on Tuesday. But with one eye on the results, he was also gazing forward ... "on to next year's budget," he said in the same breath.

And the budget road ahead will probably get a little tighter due to the cuts from the past.

In April, the board rejected a proposal by the teachers union that would have restored a popular extra class period and saved about 16 teaching positions. Kaden said one of the first issues facing the new board will be addressing ways to best incorporate the elimination of the nine-period day.

"We have to find ways to add academic instruction support," said Kaden, suggesting options such as a student pull-out from other classes and the use the lunch period for small group instruction to make up for the lost period.

From day one, Kaden said the new school board, which takes over during the first meeting in July, will be faced with the challenge of focusing on ways to structure the budget going forward and working to smooth any potential tax bumps in the road ahead.

Kaden, the current school board president, said the addition of Lisa Brieff to the school board is positive because of her longtime involvement in the school system.

"She's aware of the issues and I'm sure she'll come up to speed pretty quick," he said.

Brieff garnered 1,793 votes with Laci Wright getting 1,339 and incumbent candidate Melanie Vassalo receiving 846.

Vassalo will be missed, "you knew where she stood on the issues," says Kaden. But with every new board member comes a "new perspective," he said.

"There's certainly a chemistry change there," he said.


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