All residents within the Garden City Union Free School District may vote on the school budget on Tuesday, May 19 from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. if they are over 18-years-old, are a citizen of the United States, have been a resident within the district 30 days prior to May 19, and have properly registered with the district. The ability to register for this election elapsed on Tuesday, May 12 and applications for absentee ballots to be mailed to the voter were due with the newly elected district clerk (elected at the April 28 Regular Meeting of the Board of Education) by May 12. If the ballot will be hand-delivered by the voter, then these applications may be turned in until May 18. All ballots must be completed and submitted by no later than 5 p.m. on May 19. (For further information call 294-3010.)

For all residents who were unable to attend the budget work session and/or the May 11 Public Hearing on the proposed budget, copies of the 1998-99 Three-Part Budget format have been available for viewing by residents in every school building, as well as the Administration Building and the Garden City Public Library, and will continue to be on display until the vote.

The 1998-99 Proposed Budget was adopted on April 28 by the Board of Education, as reported in the May 7 issue of Garden City Life. This year's proposed budget totals $48,379,927 and includes significant increases in the capital improvements spending as well as program financing. The proposed budget when intially presented included $704,696 in computer assisted instruction funding, but since its first presentation, has been expanded to include the computers in the classrooms as was begun in 1997-98 for the fifth-graders for the sixth-graders as well as the fourth-graders. The initial $704,696 covers certificated salaries, noncertificated salaries, teacher aides, hardware, software, BOCES, as well as "supplies and materials" and "other expenses." The total educational television budget will see a dramtic decrease, however, as the funding drops $15,000 from $25,000 budgeted in 1997-98 to $10,000 budgeted in 1998-99. This 60 percent change is because of dramatic reductions in the areas of non-certificated salaries and audio-visual materials.

The continuing education budget has only increased by 7.24 percent and occupational education is up 68.15 percent. With a total of 12 new teaching positions in the district there has been a $943,073 increase (5.13 percent) in the "Regular School" budget. Four elementary (K-5) positions have been added; a new fine arts instructor/music director has been added to the district; staff has also been added for special education, library teaching, middle school core subjects, speech therapy, reading, and there will be a full time nurse at each of the three primary schools. The most dramatic increases in the regular school budget is the $156,261 increase in the kindergarten teachers' salaries and the $333,856 increase in secondary teachers' salaries. Homebound tutoring contract salaries, elementary activity stipends, homebound teachers' salaries for elementary and secondary, as well as long-term substitutes' salaries, and overtime will all remain the same.

The special education budget will increase by 8.02 percent ($314,157). A significant reduction of $114,000 in BOCES spending in this area (a decrease of 23.03 percent) has helped to balance the $228,834 (11.35 percent) increase in certificated salaries. The total principals' offices expense will be $1,563,473, for an increase of 4.49 percent. The administration proposed budget is for $252,895 for curriculum development and supervision. Psychological services are proposed to increase by 3.88 percent, social work services are slated to increase by 6.83 percent, and guidance is proposed to increase by 3.51 percent.

Increases in employee benefits, business office expenses for the administration, personnel office costs, and operation and maintenance of the grounds and plant all account for many of the increases in the non-instructional portion of the budget. Insurance costs have actually decreased as well as legal expenses. Transportation costs are also down in the proposed budget.

Increases in student population are expected, and while the results of the demographic study contracted by the Ad Hoc Committee have not arrived yet, the district has budgeted for temporary classrooms and other such means of addressing this population increase. The program for students put at risk by changes mandated by the State for graduation requirements will be expanded to the eleventh grade and will enable these students to continue to work towards meeting these requirements. Additions and renovations that were deemed necessary prior to a late fall bond referendum expected to be drafted by the Ad Hoc Citizens Advisory Committee are budgeted into the proposed budget. Issues such as roofing are immediate concerns addressed by the proposed budget.

Cathy Macyko was elected the chief of inspections of election at the April 28 meeting and will be joined by Norma Takach as her assistant along with 52 qualified voters who, pursuant to the provisions of the Education Law, will act as Inspectors of the Election on May 19.

Dr. Fredericks, who was appointed to the Board of Education at the April 28 meeting, to serve the term of Pam Morano, will be officially up for election on the day of the vote. She is the candidate put forth by the Eastern section of the Village and has been serving on the Board since her temporary appointment by the trustees.

All residents are encouraged to exercise their right to vote on May 19 either for or against the 1998-99 Proposed Budget for the Garden City Union Free School District. Again, residents are afforded the opportunity to vote either before work at 7 a.m. or after until 10 p.m. and of course, any time in between.