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NB Schools propose 3.98% tax rate increase; programs intact On Tuesday, May 15, North Babylon residents will be asked to vote for a new budget that, if approved, will pass along a tax rate increase of 3.98 percent and increase spending by 5.95 percent over the current year. Residents will also be asked to approve a proposition to spend $1 million for the purchase of new school buses. The proposed 2007/2008 school budget will go from $96,471,589 to $102,210,202 supporting 5,161 students in seven schools. Currently, the tax rate in the district is $143.95 per $100 of assessed value. The proposed budget is expected to increase that by $5.73 or to $149.68. While the tax levy, that portion of the budget funded through real property taxes, is not set until September, the district estimates that the budget, if passed, would pass along a total annual school tax bill of $5,538.16 on a home assessed at $3,700, excluding any rebates from New York State such as STAR. The line items driving up this year's budget include those for employee benefits and contractual raises. Teachers salaries are going up by 3.5 percent as a result of contractual agreements and health benefit costs are rising another ten percent this year according to the district. Five elementary positions will be cut this year, however, due to enrollment decreases. The additional $5.7 million in spending will go towards meeting contractual pay increases and benefits, adult education programs, pupil transportation and costs for special education. For example, costs at central administration are increasing $170,127 to $7,825,027. Adult Education costs are also going up $90,214 from the current $361,828 and student instruction will increase $3 million from $52,764,811 to $55,816,164. Some of the impact for these increases is being offset by additional state aid. North Babylon expects to receive $2,792,416 more than last year's state aid package of $39,763,587. In addition, the district is putting $500,000 of its fund balance into next year's budget, lowering the tax rate. In a separate ballot, the district is asking to leasepurchase ten school buses at the cost of $200,000 per year for five years. That proposition, if approved, will add approximately 23-cents to the tax rate after state aid reimbursement for those costs at a rate of 60.8 percent, or a total of $8.51 a year on a home assessed at $3,700. District officials said the new buses are necessary because many of the existing buses have more than 100,000 miles on them. If the proposed budget is voted down the school board will move immediately to a contingency budget, which is approximately $1.02 million less that the proposed budget. That would reduce the proposed tax rate to $5.07. But the contingency spending plan, would result in the district being forced to reduce or eliminate some services and programs as required under state law. These could include reducing or eliminating late buses, and athletic programs. Community groups would also have to pay to use school buildings and facilities.
A public hearing on the budget will be held Tuesday, May 8 at 7 p.m. at the Robert Moses Middle School at 234 Phelps Lane. North Babylon residents will be asked to vote on Tuesday, May 15 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at local elementary schools.
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