At the Jan. 31 meeting of the North Shore Board of Education, trustees worked to reduce the 2008-09 school budget proposal by $86,200 while maintaining the quality of the district's current academic programs.

Expenses that were eliminated did not cover growth in enrollment or mandated costs, provide for the educational needs of students, protect the health and safety of students and staff or maintain class sizes and the condition of buildings and grounds.

This recent reduction to the budget is in addition to the $2.7 million previously eliminated by Superintendent Melnick prior to his budget presentation to the board on Jan. 17. The board has stated it will continue a rigorous line-by-line review of the budget at meetings scheduled during the remainder of February and March, seeking to make further reductions where possible. On March 27, the trustees will officially adopt the final 2008-09 budget proposal, to be voted on by district residents on May 20 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the gym at North Shore High School.

In addition to the budget review, Maureen Curis, director of English and literacy, reported on her goal to promote a love of reading and writing in the North Shore Community. Additionally, Regina Newman, curriculum associate for mathematics, presented the advantages of the new interactive calculators that will be utilized at the high school and demonstrated the effectiveness of colorful mathematic tiles used in instruction at the elementary and middle schools.

It was announced that the BOE meeting scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 14 has been cancelled. Upcoming budget meetings to be held at the high school alumni room at 8 p.m. (unless noted otherwise) will be held on Feb. 28 (budget reviews), March 6 (budget review) and March 27 (budget adoption) and April10 (at Glenwood Landing). If residents have any questions regarding the budget, they should contact Superintendent Dr. Edward Melnick at 277-7801 or by email at ed_melnick@northshore.k12.ny.us. For the latest budget news, visit www.northshore.k12.ny.us.