The East Williston Board of Education set the district tax levy at $50,969,855 at a board meeting last Wednesday night, representing a 3.21 percent year-to-year increase over the current levy.
Jacqueline Fitzpatrick, assistant superintendent for business, said in a presentation to the board that the levy fell $46,959 below the limit imposed by the state-mandated tax cap.
“We are pleased that we can continue to set our levies below the allowable amount the governor has created in his formula,” said Mark Kamberg, president of the East Williston school board.
Homeowners and condominiums will cover 94 percent of the tax levy with payments of $47,544,681, according to Fitzpatrick. Commercial businesses will cover 4 percent with $2,181,510 in payments and utilities will covering 2 percent of the tax levy with payments of $1,182,501, she said.
Kamberg said the school board used $544,000 from the district’s surplus funds to reduce the 2013-14 tax levy.
Fitzpatrick said the school district has returned all or a portion of its budget surplus to the district’s general fund in the same way for the past 10 years.
Voters in the East Williston School District approved a $54.38 million budget for 2013-14 and the 3.21 percent tax levy by a 3-1 margin in the May 21 school district election.
Voters also approved a capital projects fund of no more than $3 million over the next five years. The East Williston Board of Education put that proposition on the ballot based on the recommendation of the eight-member Financial Advisory Committee.
“I think it’s a smart way to fund major districtwide physical projects without the additional expense of bond-related interest counsel costs,” Kamberg said at the April meeting in which the board voted to put the capital projects fund on the ballot.
The school district budget drew 631 votes in favor and 222 votes against.
The budget proposition, framed as a five-year fund not to exceed $3 million, passed with 512 voters in favor and 169 opposed.
Fitzpatrick has said the elimination of nine positions in the budget would save $800,000 in salaries and benefits and keep the district budget within the state-mandated tax cap.
The positions to be eliminated include two teaching positions, five teaching assistants, a custodian and an audio-visual clerical position.
The district will also save $400,00 based on eight teachers in the district’s elementary and secondary schools retiring after accepting incentives of $20,000 each, Fitzpatrick said.
