Sewanhaka Central High School District proposed 2011-12 budget of $162.2 million budget passed with 60 percent of the votes, 4,628 to 3,028, in Tuesday’s balloting.
The $162.2 million budget represents a 3.81 percent increase over the current budget of $156.6 million. The district tax levy will increase by 5.18 percent.
“Our taxpayers supported our spending plan. We’re thrilled that we can continue to provide all of the fine programs for the youngsters in the district,” said Sewanhaka Superintendent of Schools Warren Meierdiercks.
Meierdiercks credited the wage freeze district teachers accepted as the reason for the margin of victory in the budget voting. The Sewanhaka Federation of Teachers agreed to forego a 2.9 percent salary increase in the last year of a three-year deal. The agreement with teachers will save the district an estimated $2.1 million next year, according to Meierdiercks.
“The teacher concessions were a big reason this budget was passed by 60 percent of the taxpayers,” Meierdiercks said
The concessions also saved the teachers union from layoffs of as many as 50 of its members.
The Sewanhaka district eliminated 15 full-time positions this year as part of $2.73 million in cuts in the 2010-2011 budget.
The Sewanhaka district had been struggling to cope with a $1.5 million reduction in school aid campared to last year.
The Sewanhaka School District is comprised of five high schools. Sewanhaka’s board is, in turn comprised of board members from four K through sixth grade elementary school districts, including New Hyde Park-Garden City Park. Residents in the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park district also pay approximately 25 percent of the Sewanhaka district budget.
The New Hyde Park-Garden City Park School District’s proposed $33.5 million budget also passed by a wide margin, with 1,163 votes in favor and 796 opposed.
New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Superintendent of Schools Robert Katulak had emphasized that the increase in the 2011-12 budget over the 2010-2011 budget – 2.97 percent – is the lowest budget-to-budget increase in seven years. The tax levy will increase 5.89 percent.
“The results were indicative of a true partnership and understanding,” said New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Superintendent of Schools Robert Katulak. “We listened to the people and we followed their wishes, and accomplished nothing short of a miracle by not laying off people and preserving programs.”
He said he thought the voters understood that the school district was “respectful of their financial needs” in formulating the budget.
With the budget passing, the average property tax bill in the district would be $2,849.18 compared to $2,808.76 under a contingency budget, which would go into effect if the budget was rejected by voters. That’s based on an assessed valuation of $465,000, according to Katulak.
Voters in the district showed a strong level of support for the Sewanhaka budget, voting 1,128 to 756 in favor it.
The voters also approved the Hillside Public Library budget by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, 1,235 votes to 680 votes. The Hillside Library’s 2011-12 budget is $2.9 million, representing a 1.8 percent increase over its current $2.8 million budget.
School board incumbents Patricia Rudd and Alan Cooper drew 1,129 votes and 989 votes, respectively, running unopposed for re-election to their board seats. Former board member Frank Miranda drew 1,084 votes running unopposed to fill the board seat vacated by Annette Giarratani last year due to illness.
Rudd, a 12-year veteran of the board, said she decided to run again “because of the difficult times right now.” Cooper, vice president for the Center of Learning and Innovation at the North Shore-LIJ Health System, will be serving his second term on the board.
Katulak said the district administration made $800,000 in cuts from its initial budget proposal to make up for the rising cost of state-mandated pension and health care increases.
The New Hyde Park-Garden City Park School District received a $623,507 year-to-year reduction in state aid, from $4.4 million to $3.8 million.
To keep costs down the school board will draw $584,690 from the district’s reserve fund.
