Residents in the Floral Park-Bellerose school district will vote via absentee ballot on the 2020–21 school budget in Tuesday’s election. Trustee Laura J. Trentacoste, who currently serves as vice president of the board, is up for re-election.
Trentacoste, a writer, is running unopposed for her second term on the board. She lives in the Floral Park-Bellerose district with her husband and three children, and is herself a graduate of Floral Park-Bellerose School and Floral Park Memorial High School.
The budget of $32,454,520 amounts to a 1.53 increase from the $31,963,935 budget for 2019–20.
The budget will support the purchase of two new large school buses, maintenance of existing programs, the addition of a school psychologist, maintenance of facilities and security and increased professional development for teachers and administrators. Additionally, $715,000 will be transferred to capital for bathroom renovations and other projects included in the five-year capital plan.
The proposed tax levy increase is 2.76 percent.
Of the budget, 77.65 percent will go toward programs. Administrative costs make up 11.38 percent, and the remaining 10.98 percent is earmarked for capital projects.
The district expects $5,204,082 in state aid. Last year, Floral Park-Bellerose received $5,371,076 from the state.
Also on the ballot is Proposition 2, which is “permission to expend from capital reserve.” The proposition would allow the district to use up to $3 million from the 2018 capital reserve to undertake building improvement projects such as the conversion of a hot water heating system at Floral Park-Bellerose School and John Lewis Childs Elementary School, the construction of extensions at Floral Park-Bellerose Sschool and John Lewis Childs and other projects included in the five-year facilities plan, at no additional cost to taxpayers.
