On Tuesday, May 17, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., at the E. M. Baker Elementary School and South High School, qualified school district residents will vote on the 2005-06 proposed school budget and on two board of education seats --- Trustees Judi Bosworth and Lawrence Gross are seeking re-election unopposed.

The Great Neck Board of Education is responsible for establishing the school budget. After extensive public discussion and input, during a lengthy and open budget process, the board has adopted the proposed school budget (also known as the general fund operating budget) in the amount of $152,032,200 for the 2005-06 school year. The increase over last year's budget is 6.08 percent, essentially because of increases in mandated items. Because of the low level of state education aid received by the district, the amount to be raised by real property tax translates to an increase of 6.66 percent.

In Nassau County, boards of education are not permitted by law to set actual tax rates and assessments of property. Nassau County is responsible for determining actual tax rates, based on the county's assessed valuation of property in our school district. Each year, for the past several years, Nassau County has changed assessments and tax rates for virtually everyone. Therefore, there is no meaningful way to predict what impact the increase will have on an individual's property tax.

To minimize the impact of Nassau County's shift of property tax burdens to homeowners and away from businesses and utilities, the Great Neck Board of Education has been proactive in promoting legislation to cap at 2 percent the annual increase caused by the shift. For three years, the shift has been limited by special legislation to 2 percent, instead of the 5 percent allowed by law.

The budget is an expenditure plan that supports educational programs and provides services that are essential for achieving excellence in our school district. Board President Lawrence Gross said, "Through a very interactive, collaborative process, we have fashioned a budget that allows us to meet the individual needs of each child in school. It provides the resources and programs we require while being mindful of financial pressure, which is the greatest problem we're facing. To minimize the economic effect on our taxpayers and to maintain their support, there are no new initiatives and no excesses. The budget we are presenting is a fiscally responsible plan to continue quality education in Great Neck. The budget process starts in our schools with a needs assessment and it is responsive to educational, building-maintenance, and security needs. The largest allocation by far is for instruction --- 73.8 percent --- which is our first priority."

Board Trustee Donald Ashkenase said, "We go through the budget with a fine-tooth comb. We squeeze out every dollar without compromising programs. The things we have control over, we very tightly control. The things we have no control over drive the budget up." The district has no control over the following increases: social security, retirement systems, workers' compensation, health insurance, Medicare reimbursements, fuel costs, and snow removal.

President Gross explained that, since the 1990-91 school year, our student population has been growing and our special-education needs have increased. On September 30, 1990, total enrollment was 5,311; in 2004, it was 6,031. Projected enrollment for September 30, 2005, is 6,090. He said, "This requires additional staff, particularly if we are to maintain small class size, which is at the heart of our educational program. However, the cost of additional staff is financed largely by retirements, since new educators are hired at significantly lower salaries." The district will save almost $865,000 this coming year due to the retirement of teachers and administrators.

The school district is required to provide a substantial number of government-mandated services. Yet the federal, state, and county governments that impose these mandates do not provide sufficient aid to meet their costs. For example, because there is insufficient state funding for testing, significant associated costs must be borne by the district.

Board Vice President Judi Bosworth elaborated, "We have yet to recover from the 1989-90 mid-year State-aid budget cut, which drastically reduced funding. Sixteen years ago, before the cut, state aid had been 11 percent of our budget; now, it is 4 percent and we have many more mandates to fund. Today, our district is receiving $2 1/2 million less in state aid than it did 16 years ago."

The State-mandated Building Condition Projects (RESCUE), imposed four years ago, addresses infrastructure needs of our buildings, which range from 40 to 88 years old. RESCUE is now an ongoing annual requirement. Therefore, the budget includes a $1,300,000 allocation for this purpose.

An increase is seen in the cost of pupil transportation, which is rising by almost $1.1 million. Approximately 65 percent of this increase is for mandated costs incurred in transporting students to private, parochial, and special education schools. The district is required by state law to provide transportation to students who reside here but attend more than 100 private, parochial, and special education schools. Over the years, state aid paid to the district for transportation has plummeted from 90 percent of the total cost to 6 percent.

Tuition fees for the school district's summer programs are again increased. These fee increases continue the board's goal of reducing the impact on taxpayers by increasing the cost paid by program participants. This summer, it is anticipated that about 70 to 80 percent of total program expenditures will be recouped from fees.

A total of about $8.8 million in revenue is anticipated in 2005-06 from various sources, including adult program fees and grants, summer program fees, rental of space in school district buildings by many community groups, and state aid.

The Great Neck school district has entered into a number of cost-saving cooperative ventures with neighboring districts, particularly in the areas of insurance, transportation, purchasing (equipment, food items, supplies), and other school-business operations. The largest and most successful of these ventures continues to be the New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal (NYSIR). Through NYSIR, 343 school districts provide a sound, stable, and responsive property and liability protection program for each other at greatly reduced rates, resulting in tremendous savings over the years. Great Neck was a leader in the formation of NYSIR.

There is an ongoing effort to find ways to effect energy savings for electricity, fuel, and communications. For this reason, the district is currently exploring the feasibility of replacing telephones, computers, boilers, and electrical equipment with more cost-effective systems. It is also investigating the possible use of hybrid vehicles to transport children, subject to State Education Department approval.

Vice President Bosworth stated that excellent record-keeping by the district has resulted in substantial reimbursements. She cited a summer program for students with autism and related disabilities, E-rate funding for Internet and telephones, and asbestos abatement, as examples. Elaborating further about autism and other special education classes in our district, she said, "Behind all the budget figures are wonderful stories about service to children. They humanize the numbers."

The Great Neck Public School's budget includes expenditures that benefit some 1,523 students who reside in the district but attend private or parochial schools. Transportation, textbooks, and health services are among the items that must be provided to these students by the district according to State law. Copies of the 2005-06 proposed budget are available at the Phipps Administration Building, 345 Lakeville Road. Reference copies can be found in the schools and public libraries. For information about the proposed budget, please call 773-1456; for information about registration, voting, and absentee ballots, please call 773-1413.