Like many districts across Nassau County, Island Trees is looking to take advantage of the state's capital improvement incentive. Unlike most other districts, Island Trees is not going out to bond on the projects they have planned, but are incorporating the $1,300,000 for capital improvements into the district's budget for this year, causing what might have been an increase in the budget of just over 4 percent to jump to an 8.28 percent increase.

Island Trees is planning to begin a $1,300,000 capital project that would address the lack of space in both the middle and high schools. Part of the project, costing approximately $200,000, is the removal of asbestos floor tile from Gallow Elementary School in preparation for BOCES and Island Trees to occupy the building for their preschool programs. By moving the Island Trees preschool program from the middle school, where it is currently located, to Gallow, the district opens up additional rooms in the middle school, where they are needed for the increasing population at that level.

The majority of the work planned in Island Trees' capital improvement program will focus on the high school, where the district is expecting to see a population increase of 36 percent, or 250 students. In anticipation of this increase the district has planned to convert the rooms in the lower level of the high school, which had once been a rifle range, into a lower concourse art room complex. This would free up the space that had been used for an artroom to be used as classrooms. The cost of this portion of the project would be approximately $350,000. Another plan to increase instructional area in the high school is for the district to reconstruct an existing vocational shop area to house two small group instructional areas, one general purpose science room and one computer lab. This portion of the project is expected to cost approximately $635,000. Another approximately $100,000 is planned to reconstruct the first floor corridor ceilings and install energy efficient lighting and approximately $15,000 will be used to reconstruct and install wall tile in the main office corridor.

Superintendent of Schools Richard Segerdahl has noted that the total cost of this project is estimated to just over $1 million, while many other districts are proposing bonds for capital improvements ranging from $20-60 million.

The big push for these capital projects came with the announcement that the state would increase the aid ratio for projects approved by the districts before July 1, 2000 by 10 percent. This would increase the state aid ratio for these projects from 58 to 68 percent, meaning that the districts would receive that percentage back from the state the following year. Speculation is that after this year the state aid ratio will go down to 48 percent, which is why so many districts are rushing out to have these projects approved this year.

In Island Trees the difference in the cost of the project for the district changes dramatically with the different state aid ratios. If the project is approved before July, the building aid revenue for the district would be $884,000, making the net cost to the taxpayers $416,000. If this project was not approved and had to be done the following year the building aid revenue would decrease to $624,000, with a net cost to the taxpayers of $676,000. By having this project approved by the taxpayers before July, the district will save $260,000. "It would be absolutely financially foolish not to take advantage of the 68 percent that would be our aid ratio for next year," said Segerdahl.

The capital expenses included in this year's budget, which will be voted on by the taxpayers on May 16, increases the budget from last year by 4.073 percent. The actual operating expense portion of the budget is increasing by 4.203 percent over last year's budget, bringing the total increase to 8.276 percent, or $2,641,504. The total budget amount would increase the Class I tax rate for Island Trees homeowners by $5.97, bringing the total tax rate to $60.059 per 100 assessed valuation.

The increase in the operating expenses for the district includes three new special education teachers, two more classroom teachers and a technology teacher. It also includes additional funds to support intervention services for the new state standards and six new courses in the high school. In addition the operating expenses are impacted by the decision of the district to keep the class sizes in the elementary schools in the low 20s.

"Business Manager Helen Costigan and I believe deeply that we have crafted the lowest responsible budget possible that still offers all of the necessary programs that parents and children of Island Trees have come to expect," said Segerdahl. "The board of education and the district administrative team has always tried to be fiscally conservative with the finances of our district and that goal of fiscal prudence is one that we are proud of."

Segerdahl stated that the board and administration have spent many hours going over each line of the budget in order to present the lowest possible budget to the taxpayers.

The Island Trees Board of Education and administration will be presenting the details of the budget to the taxpayers at the Tuesday, April 18 regular board of education meeting at Stokes School. The district will also be mailing the annual budget newsletter to all the homes in the district, which outlines the proposed budget line by line. The district will also be holding its first budget hearing on Tuesday, May 9.