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Babylon School Board makes tough choices in adopting budget The Babylon School Board unanimously adopted a $40.8 million spending plan for the 2007-2008 school year, at its meeting on Monday, April 16. The board voted on the budget following a two-and-ahalf hour public discussion. Residents in attendance questioned the board's reasons for presenting a scaled-backed budget now. Peter Daly, the district's assistant superintendent for business, said the board and administration looked at the community's voting history (two bond votes failed in the past six months) and ongoing community feedback indicating that it's not willing to sustain high tax rate increases. "The community has said we don't want seven and eight percent budget increases," said Daly. The adopted spending plan is about $38,000 away from what a state-mandated contingency budget would be following two consecutive votes rejecting it. The spending plan represents a budget to budget increase of 5.51 percent and a tax rate increase of 5.94 percent. This translates into an increase of approximately $9.58, which would bring the rate to $170.83 per $100 of assessed valuation. For a home with a taxable value of 4,000, that means an additional $383.12 in school taxes for next year, or a total of $6,833.20, excluding any rebates from New York State such as STAR and Enhanced STAR. This spending plan eliminates a variety of programs and positions within the district. Some of these include foreign language instruction in grades K through 4, more limited computer instruction in the grade school, and a re-configuration of the phonemic awareness program in Elementary School. The plan also eliminates three clerical positions, selected custodial positions, and some assistant coaching positions. "This has been the most excruciatingly difficult budget process we've been through. We prepared a budget that we think is quite responsible and keeps enough money to support all of our core educational programs," said board member Thomas Melito. This year's budget piqued the interest of community residents more than in year's past, as the board's April 16th meeting at the High School Library took place before a capacity crowd. In a reversal of what the board has customarily heard from residents, many at this meeting felt that this lean budget was perhaps too little, too soon. "What the community wants is a chance to say give us the FLES program, the computer teacher at the Grade School …," said resident Ed Dupre, whose comments were applauded. Another resident had asked whether there was anything the community could do, as taxpayers, to get the teachers, secretaries, and programs back. "Talk to each other and support this budget. It can be a building block moving forward," said Melito. Several residents wanted to know if the board had taken into consideration what it had been hearing from the community during previous public meetings about replacing programs and positions slated for elimination. While the question was not answered directly by the board or administration that evening, the final adopted budget does include foreign language instruction for Grade 5. The previous budget draft had eliminated instruction for this grade level. In a follow-up e-mail, Superintendent Ellen Best-Laimit PhD. explained that they were able to re-arrange scheduling and offer the program to fifth graders. "We need to balance programs with what the whole community can afford to pay," said Daly. "We must bring our finances in balance with our public's ability to pay." At the conclusion of the meeting, Jackie Marino, president of the Babylon Clerical and Nurses Unit, Suffolk Educational Local 870 CSEA, read a statement asking the board to reconsider the elimination of three clerical positions and to take into account the role clericals play in helping to run the school efficiently and effectively. Babylon Teachers Association (BTA) president Dennis Lally also read a statement. He emphasized that any cuts will have a detrimental effect on the quality of education in Babylon.
The budget and trustee vote takes place Tuesday, May 15, 2007 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Babylon Memorial Grade School.
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