Great Neck's board of education adopted a $110,823,000 budget for the 2000 to 2001 school year, beginning July 1, 2000 and ending June 30, 2001. The budget was adopted at the board's April 18 meeting, following several budget hearings over the past few months.

This new budget, if approved by the public, will represent a 4.68 percent increase over the current $105,865,000 budget. The average school tax rate would increase 4.05 percent, which amounts to an average school tax rate of $40.29 per $100 of assessed valuation.

While the school district estimates $9,092,000 to be raised by revenue for next year, $101,731,000 will have to be raised by real property tax. This is a 4.65 percent over what had to be raised for this year.

During the meeting, board members noted that the school district took funds from the applied balance and increased the amount for the 2000 to 2001 school year, thus reducing the amount to be raised by taxes and reducing the tax rate a bit. This reduction is about one quarter of 1 percent, according to board trustee Donald Ashkenase.

Also at the meeting, the board of education adopted the 2000-2001 BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services of Nassau County) administrative budget. This BOCES budget amounts to $11,972,250, and runs from July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001. The BOCES budget represents an increase of 5.4 percent over the current school year's BOCES budget.

The board of education will meet again for a public action meeting on Monday, May 8, 8 p.m., at the North Middle School, 77 Polo Road. This meeting will include board of education recognition of North Middle School students and an official budget hearing.

Voting for the school budget will be Tuesday, May 16, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., at the North Middle School gymnasium and at the South High School gymnasium. Voting will be followed by a public action meeting and a report on the budget vote at 10:45 p.m., in the Phipps Board Room in the school district's administrative building at 345 Lakeville Road in Lake Success.