Less Staff, Larger Classes

Huntington school district administrators have reduced the 2010-11 proposed budget even further since the first draft released March 15.

During the board's Monday, March 22 meeting, Superintendent John Finello said a additional $285,000 in expenses were cut from the budget bringing it to $107, 564,742. The reduction results in a  tax-rate increase of 3.18 percent per $100 of assessed value, or $200.17, rather than the 3.5 percent originally projected in the first draft budget. The new figure also results in a 2.44 percent spending increase. Voters approved a $105,004,259 budget for the 2009-2010 school year, which reflected a spending increase of 1.6 percent and a tax rate of $193.97 per $100 of assessed value.

The reductions do not come without sacrifices. A total of 28.6 full-time employees will be removed from the district payroll in administrative, elementary and secondary instructional and non-instructional staff, according to the district's Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and General Services Joseph Giani. Accordingly, class sizes will be increased at all levels.

At the elementary level, 8.6 teachers will be eliminated. Current elementary school guidelines in the district are for a maximum of 25 students per class in grades K through 4 and 28 in fifth and sixth grades. Those maximums will be raised to 27 and 30, respectively. That will allow for a reduction of four mainstream teachers at the elementary level with two of those coming from Flower Hill Primary School, one from Washington Primary School and one from Jack Abrams Intermediate.

In addition to the regular classroom teachers, three special education teachers will be removed from the elementary schools with one each at Jefferson Primary, Southdown Elementary and Washington Primary schools.

Also at the elementary level is the elimination of one librarian; an 0.4 reduction in physical education instructors and an 0.2 reduction in English as a Second Language instructors.

At the secondary level, Finley Middle School and the high school are affected. Finley would lose 2.1 full time positions, with that spread over all subjects except art, physical education, health, speech and family and careers.

At the high school, a total of 5 full-time positions will be cut from all subjects except math, music, health, special education and speech.

Twelve positions districtwide will be cut from the non-instructional staff, including the elimination of 13 co-teacher aides, one kindergarten aide, one cafeteria monitor and two clerical positions. Four building aides will be added as well as one dual-language aide.


District residents will cast their votes for the 2010-11 budget on Tuesday, May 18. To check your voter registration status, go to the Suffolk County Board of Elections site.

In its estimated revenue budget draft, administrators have kept the projected assessed value at $46, 128, 234 the same as it was in the 2009-10 budget, saying it wants to be conservative as the value could potentially go down. The draft budget also reflects a decrease in state aid from last year's budget with last year's aid totaling $12,262,003 and the projected aid for 2010-11 at $11,946,576.


The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jack Abrams Intermediate School on Lowndes Avenue.