Bethpage-Tribune_2006-05-05

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Bethpage School's Budget Vote May 16
Proposed Budget Continues to Enhance Programs With a Lower Projected
Tax Impact Than Last Year; Includes Three Additonal Propositions on Ballot
On May 16, 2006, voters in the
Bethpage School District will be
asked to support a proposed school
budget for the 2006-07 school year
that represents a 6.59% spending
increase, lower than last year's
increase, yet preserves and contin­ues
to enhance the educational pro­gram.
"Our student performance on
nearly every standardized test is
near the top in Nassau County,"
said Superintendent of Schools Dr.
Richard Marsh. "We had the top
score on the Grade 8 Math
Assessment, the State Education
Department classified Bethpage as
a 'High Performing School District,'
and Newsweek ranked Bethpage ""*""'
High School as one of the top
schools in the country based on our
Advanced Placement participation."
The proposed budget funds all
existing academic, athletic and
extracurricular programs. In
2006/07, a new ELA Grade 9
Course (more SAT focused) will be
added, a Legislative Grant obtained
by Senator Carl Marcellino will
support a new Biotechnology initia­tive
at Bethpage High School and
JFK Middle School, and additional
High School elective courses in
Statistics, AP English 11, AP World
History Grade 9/10, and Public
Speaking, will be offered, all with­out
any increase in staff.
"This follows a trend we have
been following for some time,"
added Dr. Marsh, "creating efficien­cies
in our budget so that we can
provide more programs and servic­es
while keeping costs to a mini­mum."
The District has been able to
secure grants from several local
officials to either fully fund or off­set
the costs of many services and
programs, such as the Biotech ini­tiative
and a $10,000 Professional
Development Grant obtained by
Senator Kemp Hannon. The
District has also been successful in
aggressively securing PILOTs
(Payments in Lieu of Taxes), bring­ing
in additional revenue to offset
the cost of operating its schools.
Additionally, the District recently
entered into a performance con­tract
with Johnson Controls, Inc. to
conserve energy usage, and is pur­suing
an agreement with
Plainview-Old Bethpage Schools
to share equipment and save fur­ther
monies using a State support­ed
grant.
The proposed 2006/07 budget
also includes funding for addition­al
software/hardware purchases of
new student computers, software at
both the secondary and elementary
level, and server hardware.
After numerous meetings of the
Citizens Budget Advisory
Committee, the Board of
Education adopted a proposed
budget that carries a 6.59%
increase in spending compared
with the 6.81% increase in spend­ing
approved for the 2005/06
school year, despite an anticipated
increase in student enrollment,
more unfunded mandates from the
State, and higher fuel costs. The
total proposed budget is $63 mil­lion,
a $3.9 million increase from
the current operating budget.
Thanks to the efficiencies created
by the District and a recent
increase in aid approved by the
State Legislature, the school tax
levy for Bethpage residents is pro­jected
to be a 5.2% increase, much
lower than the 7.2% increase vot­ers
approved for the current year.
"This year's Citizens' Budget
Advisory Committee had greater
participation than in recent years,
and represented an active cross-section
of the community that
asked important questions and
made good suggestions," said
Board of Education President Tom
Frost. "The proposed budget is a
sound representation of our chil­dren's
needs and our taxpayers'
concerns, with input from resi­dents,
Site-Based Teams, Central
Administration, building princi­pals,
curriculum department lead­ers
and other key staff members."
State law allows (but does not
require) that the budget be present­ed
for one more vote prior to July 1,
2006, should voters defeat the pro­posed
budget. The Board could
make further expenditure reductions
and cut student programs, put the
same budget up for re-vote, or
adopt a contingent (austerity) budg­et.
If the community does not sup­port
a second proposed budget, the
District must adopt a contingent
budget by law. For 2006/07, a con­tingent
budget is capped at 4%;
however, the tax levy would still
increase under a contingent budget.
The difference between an approved
proposed budget and a contingent
budget for 2006/07 is approximately
$95 per year for the average
Bethpage household.
Additional Propositions
on the Ballot
This year's ballot contains three
propositions in addition to the
Budget Proposal (Proposition #1).
Propositions 2 and 3 are lease/pur­chase
agreements.
Proposition #2 is a lease/purchase
agreement for new playground
equipment at Kramer Lane, Charles
Campagne, and Central Boulevard
Elementary Schools, as well as JFK
Middle School, for a total of
$700,000 to be paid over the course
•of a 10-year period. The estimated
first-year impact on the budget is
$45,639 (principal and interest).
This initiative would provide new
playground equipment that is up to
code and will include safety-padded
surfaces.
Proposition #3 is a lease/pur­chase
agreement for six mainte­nance
vehicles for a total of
$150,000 to be paid over the course
of a five-year period. This includes
one pickup truck with a lift gate,
one pickup truck with a plow, one
crew cab, one dum> .t iick and two
work vans. The estimated first-year
impact on the budget is $17,514
(principal and interest).
Proposition #4, if approved,
would allow for continuous, year-round
personal voter registration. If
passed, all District residents could reg­ister
to vote during business hours by
contacting the District Clerk.
Currently, there are only two registra­tion
days per year in effect. There will
no cost increase associated with
approval of this proposition.
Registration and Voting
Anyone who is not registered to
vote in the general election is not eligi­ble
to vote in the school district elec­tion,
but may do so by registering on
one of the following dates: Saturday,
May 6, 2006, 10 AM-1 PM at the
Administration Building (Boardroom).
Wednesday, May 10, 2006, 1 PM-8
PM at Bethpage High School (Lobby).
The District will conduct an official
budget hearing on Tuesday, May 9,
2006 beginning at 8 PM at Bethpage
High School (Little Theater). The
budget vote will be held on Tuesday,
May 16, 2006, 9 AM-9 PM at
Bethpage High School (Gymnasium).
"I encourage all eligible residents,
including our high school seniors,
most of whom will be voting for the
first time, to cast their vote," added
Superintendent Marsh. "Due to the
renovation of the High School audito­rium,
voting will take place in the
gymnasium. We suggest that people
park in the rear of the building for eas­ier
access to the polls. I ask all resi­dents
to take time to read the District
budget brochure that is mailed to every
household, so that they can make an
informed decision."
r rSCHOOL BUDGET VOTE "*
MAY 16, 2006
9AM-9PM
Bethpage High School - Gym
REGISTER TO VOTE
May 6, 2006
10AM-1pm
Administration Bldg.
Board Room
May 10, 2006
1pm-8pm
Bethpage HS - Lobby