Voting on the Hicksville School District's proposed 2008-2009 spending plan will take place Tuesday, May 20. At this time, voters will have the opportunity to cast their vote for or against the following four propositions: Proposition #1, which is broken down into six components, pertains to the district's $108,427,960 spending plan, a proposed budget-to-budget increase of 4.33 percent or $4,501,263 over the current year's spending plan of $103,926,697. Costs allotted in Proposition #1 are broken down as follows: The General Support category includes monies for the district's overall administration, including appropriations for the school board, central administration and the operation and general maintenance of buildings. For 2008-2009, the General Support category accounts for $13,320,631, a $391,731 increase over the current year's $12,928,900. The Instruction Support section addresses what the district calls its "major function" instructional programs as well as the salaries of principals, supervisors, teachers, guidance counselors, psychologists, librarians, health service personnel, teaching assistants, and clerical workers and aides. Also included in this section are the costs for instructional supplies, textbooks, district handicapped programs and tuition for BOCES and private schools, guidance, libraries and occupational education. For 2008-2009, the Instruction Support section accounts for $62,520,108, an increase of $2,690,813 over this year's $59,829,295. The Hicksville School District provides transportation for approximately 4,400 students to public and non-public schools in and out of the district as well as for handicapped students and vocational students who attend special schools outside the district. Also included are costs associated with interscholastic sports trips and academic field trips. The Pupil Transportation category of the 2008-2009 budget accounts for $7,460,873, a $687,856 increase over the current year's spending plan of $6,773,017. Funding in the Community Services section of the budget accounts for the census the district distributes and tabulates for residents as well as for senior citizen services. Additionally, $50,000 allotted in this area goes towards Proposition #4 (see below) and the Gregory Museum. If Proposition #4 passes, the Community Service section of the budget will account for $82,492, an increase of $2,073 over the current year's spending of $80,419 This category encompasses all the recreational services funded by the school district, including summer and after-school recreation and youth programs. The Recreational Program section of the budget has decreased by $1,730 from $221,920 in 2007-2008 to $220,190 for 2088-2009. The Undistributed and Other Debt section includes payment of employee benefits such as retirement, Social Security, health insurance and unemployment insurance, along with interest on borrowing. For the 2008-2009 school year, this area of the budget accounts for $24,823,666, a $730,520 increase over the current year's total of $24,093,146.

Of the budget's total cost, school officials estimate that a little more than $15.6 million or 14.5 percent would be offset by state aid. As a result, the remainder will be paid by taxes, fund balance appropriation and other income sources. With the taxable assessment for the average home in the Hicksville School District is $1,101or 0.25 percent of full value for 2008-2009, an average Class 1 homeowner's tax bill will be approximately $4,143. The 4.33 percent budget-to-budget increase represents an additional $126 over the current year's average tax bill of $4,017.

Should the budget be defeated, the district would operate on a contingency budget of $107,376,154 - $1,051,806 less than the proposed spending plan. The austerity budget would translate into a budget-to-budget increase of 3.32 percent for an average tax bill of $4,093.

Operating under an austerity budget would mean the elimination of equipment from administration, program (computers, technology program, athletics, science, schools, etc.) and capital/facilities. General classroom supplies would be reduced by 50 percent and maintenance projects by would health and safety only. Additional reductions to achieve total dollar reduction would be made by the board in the remaining areas of staffing/program and use of fields/extracurricular.

Proposition #2 asks voters to establish a capital reserve fund in the amount of $2,504,000 for a probable term of three years. Monies would be used to fund work through the district's buildings, including roof, classroom ceiling and lighting replacement, masonry, structural repairs, outdoor basketball court replacement and fencing, blacktop/paying, lintel repair and replacement, handicapped access ramp work; renovations to the Hicksville Middle School library, weight room, locker room, music room, home and career rooms and auditorium; and renovations to the high school art room, as well as architect and project management fees.

If approved, capital projects would be funded by transferring $2,504,000 of unexpended surplus for the current year's spending plan to the fund, thereby incurring no additional costs to the taxpayer in the 2008-2009 school year, and to expend a maximum amount of $2,504,000 for the specific aforementioned projects and other related and incidental work starting in the 2008-2009 school year.

Proposition #2 is contingent upon voter approval of Proposition #1. Should the proposition fail, the money will be applied to the district reserve funds as well as unreserved balance accounts based upon recommendation from district auditors.

Proposition #3 requests voter approval for capital projects to be funded through a New York State grant. The state is offering Hicksville a one-time opportunity to receive additional funds for building improvements under its EXCEL program. Under this program, Hicksville qualifies for $1,686,000 and, through the grant, the district would be able to fund necessary building projects at no cost to taxpayers. Projects that would be funded with these monies include chimney repair and roof replacements at East Street, masonry at Lee Avenue and Woodland, roof placement at Old Country Road, exterior restoration at Hicksville Middle School, and ceiling and floor placements of the Hicksville High School gymnasium.

Note that unlike Propositions #2 and #4 (see below), Proposition #3 is not contingent upon passage of the budget.

As in previous years, Proposition #4 asked voters to approve the allocation of $50,000 to the Hicksville Gregory Museum for educational services associated with its programs.

Proposition #4 is contingent upon voter approval of Proposition #1.

In addition to voting on the proposed 2008-2009 spending plan, Hicksville residents will also take to the polls Tuesday, May 20 to vote for board of education trustees. This year, current board members Dolores Garger and Charles Coutieri are seeking re-election unopposed. Additionally, Steven Culhane is running unopposed to fill the seat vacated in March by Patrick Hourihane when he moved out of the district. All trustee terms are three years.

Dolores Garger, a lifetime Hicksville resident, is seeking re-election unopposed to her second term. Garger holds a degree in secretarial science (with a legal concentration) from SUNY Farmingdale as well as additional credits in the field of business management from C.W. Post College and Adelphi University.

Garger has been actively involved with the Lee Avenue and Middle School PTAs as well as the Hicksville Council of PTAs. In the past, Garger served on two district site-based teams and was a member of the district's Bond Advisory Committee and was a parent representative on the district's Staff Development Review Committee and Elementary Academic Enrichment Review Committee along with several hiring committees. Garger also served on the Curriculum Council and as the middle school's parent representative on the Title IV Committee.

Lifelong Hicksville resident Charles "Chuck" Coutieri, a 1970 graduate of Hicksville High School, is seeking re-election unopposed to a second term.

Coutieri, a former Lee Avenue PTA representative, has been a member of the Hicksville Fire Department Volunteer and Exempt Benevolent Organization for more than 33 years, and is involved with the New York State (NYS) Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge #911, the Empire State Games for the Physically Challenged and the Long Island Chapter of the March of Dimes, where he has volunteered his time for over 20 years. He is also involved with the Physically Challenged Irish-American Youth Team and the Hicksville Athletic Booster Club. Professionally, Coutieri is employed as a sales associate with P.C. Richard and Sons in Carle Place.

Coutieri and his wife, Debbie, have two daughters who have graduated from Hicksville High School.

Steve Culhane, a lifelong resident and 1983 graduate of Hicksville High School, is running unopposed for the seat vacated two months ago by Patrick Hourihane.

Culhane, who holds degrees in liberal arts from Nassau Community College and labor studies from Empire State College, is employed as an electrical foreman for Local #3 IBEW in New York City. Additionally, he obtained credits in journalism from Towson University and has contributed sports articles to various local newspapers and magazines. On a local front, Culhane has been involved with the Hicksville Baseball Association (HBA) for the past 20 years, serving a manager and coach. For the past year he served on the board and as a director and coach for the Hicksville Football Association (HFA).

Culhane and his wife, Karen (Class of 1983), have three children, Katelyn, 14, a freshman at Hicksville High School; James 12, in sixth grade at Hicksville Middle School; and Kevin, 6, a kindergartner at Woodland Avenue.

If elected, Culhane would be sworn in May 20 and immediately begin serving the remaining month and a half of Hourihane's seat as well as his own three-year term.

Voting for the Hicksville School District 2008-2008 spending plan and board of education trustees will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the following locations: Burns Avenue (District #1), Dutch Lane (District #6), East Street (District #2), Fork Lane (District #5), Lee Avenue (District #4), Old Country Road (District #7) and Woodland Schools (District #3).