South Huntington Votes $140 Million Budget

The South Huntington school board adopted a $140-million budget Wednesday night, but not before rejecting a proposal by the teachers union that would have restored a popular extra class period and saved about 16 teaching positions.

Many teachers walked out after the board spoke against a pitch from South Huntington Teachers Association president Dennis Callahan that included an outsized check for $1.2 million.

The budget of $140,255,037 rests on a 1.29 percent increase over this year's budget, which translates into a 5.91 percent tax rate increase for property owners.

Middle school sports were saved from elimination by a decision to use $191,000 from a reserve fund.

On the table before the final budget vote Wednesday was a proposal from the South Huntington Teachers Association for its members to pay an extra $2,300 each toward health-care costs. In turn, the union wanted the resulting savings of $1.2 million to go toward preserving the ninth-period class at Whitman and approximately 16 teaching positions. 

The union also wanted a reduction in hours spent on professional development, and a promise of no reduction in teaching jobs over the next year, a requirement Superintendent Thomas C. Shea said was too inflexible if enrollment dropped or if class sections were too small.

After some debate with board members about the timing of the union offer and the public response to it, Callahan made his case.

"I was given the impossible task of saving programs, saving jobs for my membership and making sure the proposal didn't cost any money," Callahan said. "In my proposal,  all teacher jobs, all programs are restored, and at no cost to the taxpayer," he said. "At the very least, I expected to hear the words 'thank you.'  Finances were never the obstacle, they were the excuse. This is about having my union open its books,  it's about union busting. It's not going to happen, not on my watch.

"Let us stop the politics and act in the best interest of the kids," he said. "I have a check for $1.2 million. Is there any member who has the courage to accept my check?  Anybody at all?" He then held up an oversized check made out to the district from his union members, and several Whitman students who had attended several earlier meetings and spoken passionately about preserving classes, held up signs supporting their teachers.

Some frustration and a certain sorrow seemed to hang in the air at times as board members talked about the elimination of programs created during their board tenure.

Board president Jim Kaden said that while the teachers' offer was appreciated, it wasn't enough. "We were not unclear on looking for a no-strings-attached deal," he said. "By offering a concession as a donation, your salary is not altered. It’s the salary structure that’s causing the problem," he said, warning about  further difficulties next year with the likelihood of a state property tax cap. "I can't in good conscience accept and I understand if you're not willing to accept.

"It’s a one-shot revenue, it is not a structural change. We require in New York State a structural change and if that does not change, we cannot win this battle. I am saddened by the fact that our only recourse is to cut programs."

Board members took turns criticizing Callahan's presentation, the walkout or other aspects of the union proposal but several took pains to praise teachers first. Some cited personal or familial union connections in objecting to the "union busting" claim.

Board member Nick Ciappetta said, "This is the lowest night of my seven years on the board... we need to remember, we're fighting because of what Albany continues to do. Until that changes, nothing can change here.

"Blame belongs in Albany; as for other cuts, we have taken a lot of cuts on Weston Street (district headquarters), we’ve cut department chairs, more will come through attrition... We’ve looked where we can. I choose to remember the highlights, when students raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for cancer, when they raised thousands for tsunami relief. It makes me upset. We can have more of these beautiful moments if we stop attacking each other."

Shea said, "We’ve bought a year” with the cuts. "In areas where we had a cushion, it's gone."

Board member Ed Nitkewicz said, "We are deconstructing programs that this district over the last 10 years constructed.

"We balanced the voices of many residents who are calling for at all costs reducing taxes to the lowest possible and  the voices of our students and ask you to continue to do so. I ask everybody to continue to come to meetings and participate. These difficult times are not going to end now.

"You don’t become member of the board, a teacher, adminstrator to preside over the deconstruction of these programs.

"I don’t agree at all with a rosy prediction that things will turn around next year."

Three varsity sports at Whitman -- golf, bowling and swimming -- have been trimmed. But school officials remain confident those sports will be restored with $39,000 supplied by the Booster Club through fundraisers.

The budget will go to the public for a vote May 17. Two board seats are also on the ballot and candidate petitions are due back to the district office by Monday.