Sayville BOE Talks Budget Specifics

The public had its first in-depth look at the Sayville School district budget on May 10 at a public hearing and budget information meeting.

The proposed 2011-2012 budget stands at $81.77 million, an increase of 3.87 percent and a proposed tax hike of 7.39 percent. For the average home assessed at $40,000 (before STAR) the annual taxes will go up $480.

According to Assistant superintendent of business John Belmonte, the district lost $3.8 million in state aid revenues, approximately 7.26 percent. In the year prior, it lost an additional 5 percent. To help offset the loss, the district is using $3.07 million of its fund balance/reserves to minimize the impact of the tax rate and to help preserve the integrity of educational programs in Sayville. “The district basically neutralized the loss of state aid by applying its fund balance,” Belmonte said.

The budget is broken in three components: administrative, capital and program. The administrative budget is at $8.69 million, a decrease of .08 percent year over year. The capital budget is virtually flat at $14.15 million while the program budget increased 5.11 percent to $58.92 million. Salaries and fringe benefits comprise 72 percent of the overall budget. Administrators, teachers and unaffiliated staff took a half year pay freeze in 2010-2011 and will do the same in 2011-2012. This has resulted in a cost savings of more than $2 million.

According to Belmonte, the district has no control over employee fringe benefits. Teacher’s retirement system rates increased 39 percent in 2010-2011 and are going up an additional 33 percent next year. Employee retirement system rates have increased 64 percent in 2010-2011 and will be rising again next year by approximately 39 percent.

The budget will go up for public vote on May 17 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at . If the budget does not pass, there are two options. The Board of Education could resubmit a budget to the voters or adopt a contingency budget. If the budget is defeated a second time, the board must adopt the contingent budget.

The contingency budget will result in a higher tax rate for Sayville residents, standing at approximately 9.18 percent. This is because the fund balance revenues will be taken out. The district will also have to cut more than $1.59 million from the budget and that will include programs that are not mandated by the state. “Basically if we work on contingency, we have no choices,” Belmonte said, referring to cuts and spending caps. More than $200,000 of those cuts would come from the administrative budget, while the remaining funds, $1.38 million, would come from the instructional budget, having a huge impact on school programs.

Check back at 4 p.m. to see what Sayville residents had to say about the proposed budget.