A second budget workshop was held Thursday night to discuss the 2014-2015 Mattituck-Cutchogue school budget, which currently has a $200,000 gap — something school officials believe could be closed with the help of state aid.
At the meeting, School Superintendent James McKenna discussed the $39,747,941 proposed budget; the tax levy is currently 2.19 percent, with only a 1.86 percent tax levy allowable.
That translates to $123 per year for a family with a house valued at $600,000, or $10.25 per month.
The plan is to used $500,000 in “rainy day” funds to offset expenses.
The gap was sparked by anticipated changes to BOCES, tennis courts and software licening, McKenna said.
Options to pursue to close the gap, should the state aid not come through, would be additional appropriations from the fund balance and cutting expenses in the areas of technology and capital repairs, not programs or extra-curricular activities, McKenna said.
Those cuts would lie in the areas of the Laurel annex roof repair, middle and high school renovation and wiring, and other miscellaneous cuts, to the tune of $125,000, McKenna said.
District goals for the year ahead include appropriate class sizes at Cutchogue East, maintenance of class sizes at the high school, all AP, BOCES, and NJROTC programs, maintenance of signature programs, a full range of course offerings, with less electives based on enrollment.
Also on the agenda are initiatives including technology infrastructure upgrade and state assessments and reporting.
All extra-curricular activities will remain intact, McKenna said. Staff development for Common Core in ELA and math will also be a priority.
In the coming year there will be reduced junior high offerings primarily because of offering biology in the eighth grade with a science lab, McKenna said. Also planned are security upgrades and a long-term plan to maintain athletic fields. Transportation will remain the same, McKenna said.
The budget, he said, “protects the long-term fiscal integrity of the district versus the short-term fix.”
Looking ahead McKenna said enrollment is a critical issue.
By the 2016/2017 school year, Cutchogue East has seen a 10 percent decrease over five years, and the junior/senior high school enrollment will have seen a 19 percent decrease over five years.
During the 2016-2017, a projected district-wide enrollment of 1189 will be smallest the district has seen in 35 years, since 1,212 in 1981.
Discussing the drop in enrollment, Board of Education president Jerry Diffley asked what the staff was 35 years ago, versus now.
For example, he said, if the district had four teacher assistants then, “Why do we need 45 now?”
Another suggestion was made by BOE member Douglas Cooper, who asked if any unused space in the district could be used to generate revenue.
McKenna said the discussion has been made about renting Cutchogue West, but “it’s not handicapped accessible, and it is cold.”
Some space is already rented at Cutchogue East, for a preschool program where community members can send their children at no cost.
McKenna said the hope is that state aid will close the $200,000 gap; a budget hearing set for April 3 will not be held unless the state aid fails to come in. The budget is set to be approved by the BOE on April 10, with a final budget hearing is slated for May 13 and the budget vote set for Tuesday, May 20.
