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WI Schools offer lower-than-contingency budget On May 15th, West Islip residents will face an interesting and rare choice. They can either approve the school district's proposed spending plan for 2007/08 and pay an additional 47-cents on the school tax rate, or defeat it and pay a higher increase of 57-cents. The "vote no and pay more" proposal is the result of the district's plan to funnel $2.5 million of surplus funds to cover one-time expenses next year. A rejected school budget would force the district on a contingency plan that would not allow those transfers. "Our school district has always been very careful about spending our reserve fund, and because of that we are fiscally sound," said Superintendent Dr. Beth Blau, in explaining the unusual budget choice to a large crowd of residents at the last school board meeting. The district plans to bring over $2,517,256 in reserves from last year to help in this years' budget but will still have a full two-percent, or $11,865,558, for emergencies, the maximum allowed by law. The proposed $97,852,142 budget for the coming year is an increase of $5,116,936 or 5.52 percent in spending over this year's $92,735,206 budget. The proposed budget would raise the tax rate 3.44 percent tax increase or $208.85 more a year on a home assessed at $454,000. The contingency budget would pass along a 4.18 tax increase or add $253.44 more in taxes a year on a home assessed at $45,000. It's budget this year was boosted by $1,925,725 in state aid this year, a total of $31,346,840 which was helped, in part, by lobbying from The Legislation Action Committee run by school board member Steven Geller. The district received $29,421,115 in state aid last year. Major factors driving up this years' budget, which maintains all services and programs, include $753,279 in capital projects that include a $1,034,700 for the first phase of installing new bleachers at the high school. The second phase of the bleacher project will be included in the 2008/ 2009 budget. Another district-wide improvement includes a new intercom system for all nine schools at the cost of $9,000 and the upgrading of computer labs at four elementary schools, as well as various supplies for $159,635. Even though spending per pupil remains at $14,720 per student a year, lower than the county average of $17,623, the district has enough funds to hire three additional secondary teachers and one enrichment teacher for an additional $216,000, a coach for girl's varsity lacrosse and field hockey at the cost of $6,028 and for adding new courses at the high school in such areas as Journalism and Interior Design. Non-discretionary salary increases of $4,111,985, and an inflationary increase of health insurance at the cost of $328,652, are included in the budget, as is an increase in the New York State retirement system of $172,000. The line item for Social Security payments will go up $155,688. Class sizes in the elementary school will remain at this year's levels, well within or even below the limits outlined in West Islip Teacher's contract, said school officials. In related news, the district has three seats open on the school board. Incumbent member George Smith is seeking reelection and is uncontested; newcomer Eliot Bloom is seeking the seat currently held by Barbara McAteer, who is not seeking reelection and Annmarie LaRosa is running for the seat currently held by Kevin Micucci, who is also stepping down from the board this year.
The full budget is available for residents and its presentation will be held Tuesday, May 8 at the Beach Street auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Residents can place their votes for both trustees and the budget on Tuesday, May 15 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the West Islip High School.
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