With the school budget vote taking place on Tuesday for all North Fork school districts, here’s a roundup of adopted budget and board of election candidates. All school board candidates are running unopposed.
Mattituck-Cutchogue Union Free School District
The proposed 2015-2016 budget is $40,284,062.
The appropriation increases spending by $159,176 or .4 percent, and represents an estimated tax rate increase of 1.68 percent.
According to a flyer distributed by the district, this is the fourth year of the New York State property tax cap aw, or the 2-percent property tax cap, which establishes a tax levy limit for each school district. The tax levy limit allows school districts to increase their property tax levy from one year to the next by 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. The proposed tax levy for the Mattituck-Cutchogue UFSD is 1.73 percent.
The average taxpayer will see an increase of $63 to $79 in school taxes for the 2015-16 school year.
According to Mattituck-Cutchogue Superintendent Dr. Anne Smith, the board was able to reallocate funds this year due to the lower amount required for the teachers’ retirement system. “This allowed us to focus on maintaining our staffing and providing more funding in our technology and infrastructure to support capital improvements and much needed repairs. We are working with the staffing we currently have after a few years of staff reductions when teachers retired,” she said. “This allowed us to focus on improving programs, offering more support and a wider range of course offerings including new AP level courses. The issues related to how the budget was handled and the coupling of the additional funding has become an issue of great concern. We continue to speak with our representative and the Board of Regents through our professional organizations to address these concerns.”
During a recent budget hearing, Smith said the budget reflects some repairs and capital projects that have been excluded from previous years, which address “health and safety issues” such as issues in the parking lot and the roof at the Laurel building.
In addition, she said, funds have been earmarked for technology and infrastructure upgrades, especially on the elementary level, to allow for high speed internet. Smith said grants would be used to help with those goals
And, she noted, “While we see enrollment declining or stabilizing, at this point we’re maintaining staffing to be sure class size is appropriate.” As teachers retire, needs will be addressed, she said.
The budget also alllows for the restoration of clubs at the junior and senior level.
A part-time additional counseling staff member will be brought onboard for prevention work in grades K to 12, Smith said. The budget also supports integration of health curriculum to the fifth and sixth grades, she said. In addition, a new environmental course will be added on the high school level, as well as an AP class in European studies and the continued work on the greenhouse at the junior high school. A math lab will continue to receive support, as well as athletic programs including winter track and new safety netting, she said.
Board of Education election: Running for school board seats are incumbents Laura Jens-Smith and Doug Cooper. Sarah Hassildine opted not to run again this year; retired teacher Barbara Wheaton has decided to run unopposed for the seat because she said she loves working with young people and feels it’s important to give back. She will officially take office on July 1.
Voting will take place from 3 to 9 p.m. in the Mattituck High School gym.
Southold Union Free School District
The proposed 2015/16 school budget totals $29,148,995.
The tax levy increase of 1.66 percent is at the tax levy cap as calculated by using the state’s formula, which includes allowable exclusions. The average tax levy increase has been less than 2.17 percent over the past six years, the BOE said. The budget maintains current programs and student opportunities. According to the BOE, shared administrative positions have saved over $170,000, but still allows the district to meet the criteria for the tax rebate efficiency plan.
At a Board of Education work session, Superintentent David Gamberg thanked the administrators who worked collaboratively during the budgeting process. “All administrators are very cognizant of the tax levy limit and tried to do what’s most essential and important, and do it in an effective way,” he said.
On the elementary level, spending for professional development and books was requested. On the high school level, elective based courses in science research are on the agenda, as well as technology, a budget line item for SOHO TV, a student television studio; the course could potentially shared with Greenport High School. Other courses include the business virtual enterprise class, senior career academy, English, social studies and business. Textbooks for math, English, science and social studies were requested.
In athletics, an athletic trainer remained in the budget, the position, the district said, is “crucial” to proactively reducing the amount of injuries” and would provide a first responder at athletic events.
“We’re very judicious in trying to expand opportunities and maintain safety,” Gamberg said.
Technology requests include new chromebooks, iPad software for grades K to 2, eight iMacs for the junior/senior broadcasting lab, and a stipend for a district-wide web advisor to update social media.
Gamberg said shared services such as a shared director of facilities with Greenport helped keep costs down. In addition, he said, fuel costs have come down but that development was counteracted by the cold weather and snow that walloped the North Fork this winter.
Board of Education election: Running for school board unopposed are incumbent BOE president Paulette Ofrias and BOE member John Crean.
Voting takes place from 3 to 9 p.m. at the school auditorium.
New Suffolk School
New Suffolk has proposed a budget for 2015-2016 of $1.099 million, with a 1.8 percent tax levy increase.
During the budget process, the small district voted to abolish the position of tenured teacher Martha Kennelly, a move some felt could lead to costly litigation. Kennelly’s current salary is $115,000, after 21 years spent in education with elementary, art, district administrator and special ed certifications.
Board of Education election: The New Suffolk BOE has one open seat; incumbent Brooke Dailey opted not to run again. Running for the three-year seat unopposed is Jason Cooper.
Voting will take place tomorrow from 3 to 9 p.m. at the New Suffolk School.
Greenport Union Free School District
The proposed Greenport Union Free School District’s 2015-2016 budget of $16.9 million has a tax levy of 2.52 percent that does not exceed the cap, the district says.
In addition, the “proposed budget continues to provide a comprehensive Pre-K program, a secondary summer school program, which has the potential to yield revenue, and features shared administrative costs with Southold that will save Greenport taxpayers over $160,000.
According to budget information distributed by the district, “Our shared service model is cost effective and helps us maintain quality educational programs while increasing student opportunities..” Currently, Greenport and Southold share a technology director, a director of facilities, and the superintendent.
Board of Education election: Incumbent Board of Education members Babette Cornine, BOE vice president, and Daniel Creedon, president, are running unopposed.
The Greenport Union Free School District’s Board of Education and budget vote will be held from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Dude Manwaring Gym on Front Street in Greenport.
Oysterponds Union Free School District
The proposed 2015-2016 Oysterponds budget of $5.6 million reflects a tax levy increase of 1.62 percent. Voters will also cast their ballots for a proposition authorizing the district to replace all windows at a cost not to exceed $150,000. They will also vote on a proposition to establish a capital reserve fund for the purpose of building improvements, renovations, technology upgrades, and facilities for educational programs. The ultimate amount of the reserve fund would be $2.5 million.
Board of Education election: The Oysterponds has three candidates, incumbents Linda Goldsmith and Krista de Kerillis, as well as a new face, Philip Mastrangelo. Two full term seats are available, as well as a one year, 42 day term that was vacated; the two top vote getters will receive full-term seats and the third will fill the vacancy.
The vote will take place from 3 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at the Oysterponds school.
