East Williston School District residents will vote on Tuesday on a $55.74 million budget for 2014-15, a 2.52 percent increase of $1.2 million over the 2013-14 budget, and the re-election of East Williston school board President Mark Kamberg, who is running unopposed.
The tax levy is projected to increase 2.43 percent to $52.2 million, which falls within the state-mandated tax cap.
“I really think it’s a good budget,” East Williston Superintendent of Schools Elaine Kanas said when the budget’s was approved by the East Williston school board last month. “It’s mindful of the taxpayers ability to pay. At the same time it’s supportive of maintaining and strengthening our really fine education program.”
Kanas said, if approved, the school district will expand some program offerings, including AP courses, a new engineering program in ninth grade, and new elementary science programs.
Jacqueline Pirro, East Williston School District assistant superintendent for business, said a strengthened tax base helped the district increase spending within a 2.71 percent tax cap.
“This year we received a very favorable tax base growth factor. We’re the highest in Nassau County in this factor,” Pirro said recently.
She said the final budget total reflected $101,720 in state aid the district had not originally expected to receive.
In addition to the budget, residents will vote on a proposition that calls for the district to spend $1 million its capital project reserve fund for planned improvements including emergency backup generator at The Wheatley School, repair and improvements to asphalt, pavement, storm drainage, concrete curb and sidewalk replacement at the south lot and a bus circle at Wheatley, and refurbishment or replacement or both of exterior wood cornices and trim at the North Side School. Creation of the capital project reserve fund was approved in last year’s district election.
The East Williston district received a total of $2.61 million in state aid in the budget passed by the state Legislature early last month, $73,458 less than it received last year, Pirro said.
Pirro said the school district will eliminate one elementary teaching position in the 2014-15 school year due to lower student enrollment and a part-time position teaching Mandarin at the high school due to insufficient interest in the course.
Other planned personnel cuts include an open guidance counselor position that will not be filled, one full-time typist clerk position in the Wheatley School guidance office that also will not be filled after a mid-year retirement and one full-time and five part-time school monitor positions that will be cut districtwide. Two part-time custodial cleaning positions will also be eliminated.
Pirro said the biggest budget drivers continue to be the same year-to-year.
Salaries will comprise $31.34 million of the 2014-15 budget, rising .54 percent by $166,927. District costs for the teachers’ retirement system will rise more than 10 percent to $4.38 million, while costs for the employees’ retirement system are projected to rise more than 61 percent – $315,069 – to $828,962. Health insurance costs will rise 3.28 percent by $192,016 to more than $6 million.
Costs of other employee benefits, including workers compensation, life insurance, unemployment and disability are expected to rise approximately 7.7 percent – $36,114 – to $505,790.
Kamberg has said he’s “extremely pleased” that during the past three years of the tax cap the board “continued to enhance our program with new initiatives while protecting class size.”
Currently in his sixth year on the board, Kamberg is seeking re-election unopposed after serving as board president for the past four years.
“I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish so far. I’m excited and humbled about the opportunity to continue to serve the community,” he said in a recent interview.
He has said his goals during a third term would be “to continue to improve our safety enhancements” and “growing our academic offerings and maintaining facilities at proper standards.”
Kamberg said he is proud of the leadership role he has taken in developing open enrollment in the accelerated science and math curricula, expanding AP offerings and implementing a new nine-period day of study.
Foreign language initiatives were expanded, with a new foreign language program at the North Side School, he said.
Kamberg, who has lived in Albertson for 13 years, also served on the school board of Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn before being elected the East Williston school board.
He also served as director of operations for the Annual Woodbury Autism Disco Ball, supporting children with autism, chairman for the Annual Children’s Funfest for the Children’s Cancer Center at Winthrop-University Hospital and chairman for the Young Professionals Division of UJA, helping to raise funds for global charities.
Student enrollment in the district is projected to decline slightly from the current 1,753 students to 1,732 students next year.
Voting on the budget and the trustee position on May 20 will take place in the Wheatley School gymnasium from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
