School Notebook: Budget Planning Starts, Intel Looks Elsewhere for Finalists

Preliminary Budget Projections Released for 2011-2012 School Year

Accounting for contractual salary increases, soaring pension and benefit costs, and unfunded state requirements, the Three Village Central School District's $167 million budget would have to increase by around 8.7 percent, or about $14.5 million, for the district to maintain its current programs and services. That's according to early budget projections announced at a recent school board meeting by Jeff Carlson, assistant superintendent for business services, who said the district is already looking at where savings and cuts can be made.

The Board of Education previously committed to a maximum tax levy increase of 3 percent as one of its goals for the 2011-2012 school year, an increase which Carlson demonstrated would be consumed immediately by salaries, pensions, benefits and other requirements.

"It really does expose a structural problem in how the district operates," trustee Dr. Glen Whitney said. "Obviously the people have the right to fair wages … but all those other increases are going to be forcing cuts every year. Beyond the initial pain for next year, which obviously is very acute, I see a sort of bleakness for the future."

Others on the board, however, were more optimistic.

"A lot of the challenges we are facing are the result of a down economy," trustee Jonathan Kornreich said. "As tough as things look right now, things can change."

Carlson said a number of variables will also come into play in the budget process, including how much of its approximately $20 million reserve fund the district decides to use, how much state aid the district will receive, and whether Gov. Andrew Cuomo's tax cap will be enacted as proposed. That proposal could saddle the district with a maximum tax levy increase of 2 percent, which administrators have repeatedly said could have a devastating effect on the quality and scope of programs and services each school offers.

Moreover, the state aid numbers may not come in until fairly late in the school budget process. Carlson said Cuomo has threatened to shut down the state government if lawmakers don't agree to $10 million in cuts by April 1. The district is required to present its adopted budget to the community in early May.

"It’s going to be a very difficult budget season," Carlson said.

Superintendent Calls for Community to Join the District's Campaign on Cuomo Tax Cap

Following those projections, interim superintendent Neil Lederer asked community members on Jan. 18 to help the district reach out to local elected officials regarding the governor's proposed tax cap by writing letters.

"You’re not going to be able to get the tax cap eliminated, but you might be able to influence [it]," he said.

A downloadable form letter later appeared on the Three Village school district website, complete with the addresses where residents can send them.

Intel Semifinalists Left Out of Next Round

Ward Melville may have had – the most from any single Long Island school – but the island's only two Intel finalists instead came from other districts, according to results announced Jan. 26. Among those six semifinalists was in the national Siemens competition in December.

"The results are not too surprising, since different people review the projects and likely use different criteria for judging," said Dr. George Baldo, head of the Ward Melville InSTAR program. It is the third time since the program was established in 1998 that no one from Ward Melville reached the Intel finalists' round; it also occurred in 2003 and 2007.

Baldo said the InSTAR seniors will now spend the remainder of the year working on posters and presentations for their research projects, and will soon share those projects with other classes at the high school and junior high schools. "The main purpose of the program is to have them experience authentic science research, which they have done," Baldo said.

One Snow Day Left on the Calendar

Three snow days were built into the school calendar this year. After two January blizzards – and still with 52 days of winter left on the calendar – just one snow day remains.

Cheryl Pedisich, assistant superintendent for educational and pupil personnel services, said Tuesday if the district uses more than its allotted snow days, make-up days will be implemented during the April break, starting with the Monday after Easter.