Aside from a few possible minor changes, the Port Washington Board of Education said the $155 million district budget for next year was essentially good to go.
“Originally we had hoped that we could adopt our budget tonight, but it was determined at the budget meeting we should wait,” Superintendent Kathleen Mooney said.
The budget would increase spending from last year by more than $4 million and would increase the money raised by property taxes by the same amount. Increasing pension and health insurance costs were the two primary culprits behind the increase, Mooney said at an earlier meeting.
Assistant Superintendent Mary Callahan said the tax levy would remain at 3.15 percent. She said no programs would be cut and $400,000 would be put toward requested staffing. The district’s requested staffing would currently cost more than $800,000, which means less than half of the proposed hires were included in the budget. Callahan said that the state’s education budget might provide increased funding but had not yet been set.
The budget must be adopted before April 20, but the school board has another meeting before then where the budget will be adopted.
The board wanted to wait until the state made a final decision before voting on the budget.
Elaine Fenick, the human resources administrator, said enrollment for kindergarten was moving slowly with 342, below the anticipated 417. Fennick said that this was slower than usual and only Guggenheim Elementary was seeing enrollment at a normal speed.
Members of the school’s lacrosse team again appeared at the meeting, and one player thanked the board for taking up the issue. Sloan said that the district was doing everything it could to resolve issues surrounding the coach and getting the team field time.
“We hope to have some positive news, a positive outcome on the issue going on… tomorrow,” she said.
Mooney also thanked the athletes for their handling of the issue.
“There’s a right way to address district administration and the board, and an incorrect way,” she said. “And I want to commend all of you for addressing all of us in such a very respectful, thoughtful manner.”
Mooney announced that due to a snow day last week, a make-up day would need to be held on Monday, June 25.
The board also recognized several Paul D. Schreiber High School students who won awards in the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair.
Before the meeting began, the board was serenaded by a saxophone group from Guggenheim Elementary.
“Thank you so much to our musicians and our music department,” Sloan said. “This was a perfect addition to our board meeting.”
