The Herricks Board of Education voted last Thursday to reduce the district’s 2013-14 tax levy by 10 percent to $92,128,889, bringing the year-to-year increase in tax levy down from 3.15 percent to 3.02 percent.
Herricks school board President Jim Gounaris said the reduction was made possible by the district receiving $120,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for costs related to the Hurricane Sandy clean up.
“I was thinking about giving the homeowners an extra 10 percent return,” said Gounaris, who proposed the reduction.
In each of the past two years, the Herricks board has used annual budget surpluses to reduce the tax levy $1.2 million, according to Herricks Assistant Superintendent of Business Helen Costigan.
Costigan said FEMA had already reimbursed Herricks $130,000, bringing the total money received by the district to $250,000.
“Based on the money we got back from FEMA, it’s the right thing to do,” board Trustee Brian Hassan said about the reduction in the tax levy.
Herricks voters approved a budget of $104,619,373 in the May 21 school district election. The budget represents a 3.2 percent increase over the 2012-13 budget.
Gounaris said the tax levy reduction made possible by the $120,000 in additional FEMA money would result in an average tax saving of nearly $20 per household.
“Every penny helps, especially today,” Gounaris said.
At its meeting, the board also reached a consensus to add three teaching positions in the district elementary schools in response to an increase in class sizes brought about by new student enrollments.
Gounaris said a first grade class will be added at the Denton Avenue School, bringing the total of first grade classes there to five. A first grade class will also be added at the Searingtown School, bringing the total number of first grade classes to three, he said. An additional fourth grade class also will be added at the Denton Avenue School, bringing the total number of fourth grade classes there to four.
“Although the board of education suspended the class guidelines two years ago, we do take into consideration the number of children in the classroom. Classrooms of 30 children plus are not acceptable to any of us,” Gounaris said.
The Herricks school board had budgeted for two additional teaching positions back at salaries of approximately $125,000 to reduce class sizes.
Hassan said faculty retirements enabled the board to restore a third position to the budget.
“If we have some other class sizes that skyrocket, we’ll deal with that,” said Herricks Superintendent of Schools John Bierwirth.
In other developments:
• The board voted to allocate $2,681,000 to the employees retirement contribution reserve fund, $685,296 to the workers compensation reserve fund and $23,222 to the employee benefit reserve fund. The allocation to the employees retirement fund equals two years of anticipated expenses for that fund.
• The board approved a memorandum of understanding with Hofstra University to continue two existing programs with the Herricks district. Hofstra students observe teaching in Herricks classrooms in one program. Herricks teachers mentor Hofstra student teachers and undergraduate participant-observers seeking certification in early childhood and childhood education in the other program.
• The board approved a consultant for the Denton Avenue School Spanish language immersion program, Myriam Met, who will consult on curriculum development and teacher training in the fall at a per diem rate of $1,800 for two days.
• The board approved a BOCES contract for 2012-13 of $3,547,682.67. It also approved a preliminary 2013-14 BOCES contract of $3,277,059.
• Based on results from a parent survey, the board voted to not offer a school breakfast program during the 2013-14 school year.
