The Mineola School District expects to stay under the 2 percent tax levy cap in its 2012-13 budget.
That was the assessment of Jack Waters, district assistant superintendent for business and operations at last Thursday night’s school board meeting during a preliminary presentation on the budget.
Waters said the 2 percent cap will restrict the Mineola School District to a $1.5 million increase in the tax levy, and a corresponding $1.5 million increase to the current $84.2 budget. That budget carried a 2.37 percent increase in the current tax levy.
“The budget can only go up $1.5 million because the levy can only go up $1.5 million,” Waters said.
Waters said the district used last year’s state aid figure of $5.2 million, although Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called for a 4 percent increase in state aid that would increase that total.
Waters said he estimated a 1.5 percent rise in salaries of $700,000 year-to-year, but that figure is far from certain. The school board is currently negotiating with the teachers, teachers aides, custodians and bus drivers and clerical workers’ units, and will engage the administrators next.
“If we don’t have a contract, we only pay ‘step’ increases,” Waters said.
State-mandated step increases are approximately 2 percent annually.
The state has not yet issued an estimate on the annual increase in the employee retirement system, but the district’s 12.1 percent estimate for the teachers retirement system translates to a $700,000 year-to-year increase, according to Waters. An estimated 3 percent increase in health insurance for public employees will add approximately $300,000 to the Mineola budget.
Waters noted that the loss of federal aid for special education, which the district had received the past two years, means the loss of $300,000 that will have to be made up.
He estimated that new leases for a bus fleet to service the district will cost $70,000.
The increased costs add up to $2,270 million – including 500,000 for expansion of the Meadow Drive School. That projects to $270,000 in expenses over the $1.5 million the district can add to its present costs.
“If these numbers are correct, we’re in pretty good shape in getting under the cap,” Waters said. “The salaries haven’t been finalized, so that can change. If state aid increases, that offsets the $270,000.”
And the leasing of the first floor of the Willis Avenue School set to take place at the end of the current school year could provide a further offset if three staff positions are eliminated. The Willis Avenue School, which currently houses pre-K through grade 1 classes, will close as part of the planned transition to shutter two district schools.
“With what we know, we believe we’re in pretty good shape in being able to present a budget that will fall within the 2 percent levy cap. And no programs will be affected next year,” Waters said. That’s something very few school districts on Long Island will be able to do.”
In other developments:
•Mineola Superintendent of Schools Michael Nagler told the board that ground had been broken on the Hampton Street School construction project.
“We’re up and running,” he said.
• Nagler reported that there are three interested parties set to take a tour of the Willis Avenue School to consider leasing it next year.
