The community will have one more opportunity to comment on the proposed Babylon School District 2009 - 2010 spending plan when the board holds its work/study meeting, Monday, March 23rd, at 7:30 p.m. in the high school library. Weeks in the making, this budget maintains all current programs and instruction levels with a budget to budget increase of 2.5 percent, according to Dr. Ellen Best-Laimit, school superintendent.

Governor Paterson's announcement in early March about appropriation of federal stimulus funding assured the district of the $500,000 in state aid it could have lost for this fiscal year and next. In addition, three teachers tendered their retirement notices, further reducing budget costs. One is a retiring elementary school teacher who will not be replaced due to a decline of about 30 students in 2009 - 2010 enrollment.

At the first budget meeting for the public held February 23, 2009, the handful of residents in attendance looked for assurances from the board that money be spent wisely and cautiously. Now a month later, the proposed tax rate increase should fall below two percent, said Dr. Best-Laimit, in a follow-up phone conversation.

Thefinal tax rate for 2009 - 2010 is not set by the board until August. Thatis when the Town of Babylon releases the final property tax revenue amount to the school district. The Babylon School District receives about 83 percent of its revenue from property taxes.

"Given the state of the economy, we told our board members that we wanted to keep the tax rate increase as close to two percent as possible," said Dr. Best- Laimit.

At the February meeting, one concerned taxpayer urged the board members and administrators to take a more aggressive approach when negotiating contracts that set increases and benefits three to four years out. He asserted the belief that to see salary increases at five to six percent given the environment in which most employed and retired people find themselves is just "untenable" and further implored board members and district staff to be "fiscally prudent" and build in options to open a contract and re-negotiate, if necessary.

School board member Roger Katz said such an idea was discussed at an earlier Finance Committee Meeting. These committee meetings are open to the public. The committee asked the superintendent to approach the teachers union about a possible renegotiation. They expressed willingness to perhaps re-open the contract next year, Katz reported, but not this year.