School Budget Tax Rate Hike Stands At 7.39 Percent

The additional state aid the Sayville School District will be receiving for the next school year will have a minimal impact on the tax rate increase facing local residents.

Following the announcement last week by state officials that school districts across New York would be receiving additional funding, Sayville school officials said the district would be receiving an additional $377,000. However, only $277,000 can be used to help offset the tax rate increase.

Dr. Walter Schartner, school superintendent, noted that the district will be allocating $100,000 of the most recent state aid increase to cover costs for 4201 schools for the hearing impaired.

“Now the district must pay for the full year at a cost of $100,000,” he said. “So we now have to add that money into our budget. We must pay for the full year in September and we will be getting back 40 percent of that money, or $40,000, in the following year.”

Had the school district been able to use the entire $377,000, the budget would have been presented at 7.27 percent tax rate increase as opposed to the 7.39 percent increase now being considered.

“I feel like this 7.39 percent increase is something that really is out of our control,” Schartner said. “It consists of increases that are not associated with our spending. I finally feel like some of the legislators are on the same page with the . They now are saying that if there isn’t mandate relief, there will not be a tax cap.”

The board of education is expected to approve the proposed school spending plan on April 14.

Should voters not approve the budget on May 17, the board of education has the option of putting the proposed spending up for a revote or choose to implement a contingency budget.

With a contingency budget, a number of cuts would be needed. These include: on the secondary level there would be two classes cut in every department – English, math, music, language, technology, science, art and social studies – as well as one non IEP speech teacher. In Lincoln and Cherry Avenue schools, the third and fourth grade class size will jump to 28 students, while class size for fourth and fifth graders in Sunrise Drive will increase to 27 students. The SEED elementary program and the Elementary Curriculum Council will also face cuts.

Other contingency budget cuts would include: middle school sports, 12 assistant varsity coaches, band/orchestra/chorus concerts, student assistance counselor, homework clinic, secondary summer school, travel conferences, supplies and one administrative position reduction.

The cuts amount to roughly $1.5 million and another $80,000 would still need to be trimmed, Schartner said.

The contingency budget would put the tax rate increase at about 9.18 percent, since the school’s fund balance would removed from the budget, as it required by law.

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On May 4, a meeting of the Sayville/West Sayville Business and Community Council will be held. Schartner said his goal is to create a dialogue between the district, community and businesses in town to promote the use of services within the community.

“We want to help our own,” he said. “We want to encourage people to shop in town and we want to get students more involved. Times are tough and we all need to work together.”

In addition, there will be a roundtable held on May 25 at the Middle School cafeteria to discuss the and different variations of the plan.

Schartner said there are basically three options. One is a pure Princeton Plan, where one school is kindergarten to first grade, another school houses grades two to three and a third holds grades four and five.

A modified Princeton Plan would have two buildings holding kindergarten through third grade and another school would be for just fourth and fifth graders. The last option would be going back to a shared area to help offset some of the larger class sizes on the elementary level.