Letter: A School Budget Message From the FPBSD PTA

Friday, 27 April 2012 00:00

At the April meetings of the Floral Park-Bellerose School PTA and the John Lewis Childs School PTA, the general memberships unanimously approved motions to support the proposed 2012-13 Floral Park-Bellerose Elementary School District budget.

The purpose of the PTA is to advocate for and to promote the welfare of children and youth in the home, school and community. The PTA recognizes that every child deserves excellence in education and in quality of life. Our PTAs believe that the board of education has prepared a fiscally responsible budget designed to achieve the goal of providing a continued quality educational experience for all of our children.

Residents may attend the budget hearing on Monday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the John Lewis Childs School for a detailed presentation of the budget.  Registration for the upcoming budget vote will be held at both schools on Monday, May 7, from 4–8 p.m. The vote is Tuesday, May 15, from 11 a.m.–9 p.m., again, at both schools. Residents vote at the school for which they are zoned. Absentee ballot applications are available on the district website.  The proposed budget includes continuation of the pre-kindergarten program, maintains class size, and continues the School Life Plus and Saturday enrichment programs.

In 2004, the proposed school budget was defeated and as a result, programs and services which we came to rely on and which benefited our children were eliminated. In addition, the use of fields and facilities were restricted, capital projects were canceled and computer and equipment purchases were eliminated.  

It is our responsibility as parents and neighbors to be advocates for the children of the Floral Park-Bellerose communities and to secure for them excellence in education. It is challenging as taxpayers to maintain such a high quality of life in our wonderful communities, but a defeated budget will not afford our children the education and services we have come to expect and that they deserve.

On behalf of the FPBS and JLCS PTAs, thank you for your support of our children and please vote for the budget on May 15.

Bridgette Alfonso, co-president, FPBS PTA
Laura Godley, co-president, FPBS PTA
Nadia Holubnyczyj-Ortiz, president, JLCS PTA