On Monday, the Levittown Board of Education listened to the recommendations of two separate committees on the budget and discussed various components of budget prior to adopting a $108,167,824 budget to be put up for district residents to vote upon on May 16. This budget is an increase of $8,714,510 from the budget that was approved by taxpayers last July. To property owners this proposed budget represents an increase of $326 per year with the blended tax rate, thus bringing the total taxes to $3,774 per year.

The Citizens Advisory Committee on the budget, led by chairperson Patricia Stillwaggon, reported on the recommendations of that committee. In regard to personnel, Stillwaggon reported that the committee was recommending that one or two positions in accounting could be eliminated through attrition and that the district replace the retiring principal of athletics with a director of athletics. The committee encouraged the lowering of class sizes and the proposed summer school program and suggested that administration look into a self-sustaining summer program in addition to the summer school. The committee chose not to make a recommendation with regard to a nine period day. Stillwaggon went on to note that for the additional classrooms needed at Salk, the district should consider portable classrooms as opposed to permanent rooms. As every other CAC has in the past, this committee also recommended that the budget committee be convened earlier in the year. While in the past the committee was selected in February, this year's committee began the task of reviewing previous budgets before the holidays.

Dr. Alan Groveman, assistant superintendent for business answered or commented on many of the issues raised by the committee. With regard to personnel, Groveman noted that the board has a standing policy about replacing staff and the district had an efficiency study done a few years ago where they were able to eliminate some positions through attrition. Groveman also announced that the board has already approved the replacement of the principal for athletics with an athletic director, which would cost the district less. The problem with lowering the class size, according to Groveman is not the money but the issue of space and there are not enough classrooms for the further lowering of class size. He noted that in order to re-open Seaman Neck, which there is currently no plan to do, the district would have to give BOCES, which is currently occupying the building two years notice. In answer to the question of a self-sustaining summer program, Groveman stated that it is possible that a program such as that could be tied into the continuing education program and not be included in the budget process at all, thus making it feasible for the coming year.

A new addition to the budget process this year was the PTA's committee on the budget, led by chairperson Roseanne Gullans. The committee, according to Gullans, began the process by visiting every school in the district. She noted that each school made creative use of limited space. The committee heard from those schools that more library books were needed and passed that message along to the administration. Another message that was passed on was that the elementary schools would like to see a social worker or guidance counselor because many students fall through the cracks and this would help catch those students at an earlier age. Gullans stated that the committee did not want any programs that would benefit children removed from the budget. This committee recommended that the district build permanent classrooms rather than portable ones. According to Gullans, the committee feels that this would be most cost effective in the long run. The committee also suggested that the district begin planning now for the projected enrollment growth at MacArthur. Classroom additions were also suggested for Northside and Gardiners Avenue. With regard to the nine period day, Gullans stated that the committee, "in the long run would like to see a plan implemented to benefit all students and teachers and not just jump into something without thinking it through and making sure that the ninth period is going to be used to the benefit of instruction and not just to have a ninth period." The final recommendation of the PTA committee was that special education services be offered to regular education students by the school district.

Gullans noted that the PTA committee is an ongoing committee that will continue to meet throughout the year, "so that we can address in a timely fashion some budget issues and things that come up."

With regard to the space limitations at Gardiners Avenue and Northside Schools, Groveman explained, though it is not why the district is looking at practicing inclusion, implementing, appropriately, an inclusion class in either of those buildings a room would be freed up. As far as the library books go, Groveman stated that this money would come from each of the school's discretionary funds and that those per pupil expenses for instructional supplies and library books have been increased by the board.

An issue that was raised by two parents at the April meeting of the board of education was the discontinuation of special services such as occupational therapy for regular education students. In the past the district had paid for these services and parents are now discovering that if they want their children to continue with these programs, the family will have to pay for it themselves. Groveman addressed this issue with the board in regard to the budget, at the request of board members following the meeting which took place last week.

Groveman explained that he asked Director of Pupil Services Jackie Seeman to come up with a proposal to provide an educationally related service to children in need as opposed to or in place of occupational therapy. He noted that there are currently 42 students who are not classified as special education receiving these special services. The cost to the district for these services this year was approximately $100,000 and is expected to go up to $200,000 for next year.

"None of us are saying children don't need service or don't deserve service, we're trying to see if there is another way to provide a service that might actually be more beneficial in a more educational manner. Ms. Seeman came up with a proposal to utilize special education staff, additional part-time staff who have a background in fine motor work, including handwriting and technical skills and to provide this staff with additional training." Groveman proposed that the board look at an option which would provide an educational service to students who might need additional support with things such as handwriting skills, through a special education teacher, in the child's own classroom rather than having them pulled out for these services. The work on these skills would also be centered around and relate to the academic subjects the student is currently working on as well the motor skills. Groveman recommended that the board put an additional $50-60,000 in next year's budget for these services.

Another recommendation made by Groveman was that the board, in the separate referendum that will be put up for a vote at the same time as the budget, put in the funds for permanent and not portable classroom additions.

The board agreed to both these recommendations in finalizing the budget and referendum.

The referendum is for $1,946,375 in addition to the budget, for the construction of four classrooms at Salk Middle School, renovating the four science labs at Division Avenue High School and adding a science lab at MacArthur. This would add $116 to the tax bill for the average Levittown homeowner. Groveman noted that this is a one year cost and is not a continuing cost as a bond would be. If this project is approved by June 30, under the state's capital improvement incentive, the project would be 75 percent aidable, according to Groveman, which means the district will receive 75 percent of the cost of the project back next year. After June 30 the cost of this project would cost the district approximately an additional $500,000.

The board finished off the meeting by agreeing what would be cut if the budget failed and the district had to go to a contingency budget. The board members made it clear that they would rather not cut anything, if need be they would cut all athletics, extracurricular activities, transportation for field trips, the middle school gifted program, instrumental music for grades three and four, the summer school program and preventative maintenance. They also agreed that if they had to go to contingency they would return the class size to the 1998 level, adding one child to each class and would charge community groups for the use of buildings. If the budget fails the district would have to cut $750,000 from the budget and these cuts make up that money and do not directly affect the academic program. Under the contingency budget, the average homeowner would pay $48.58 less than under the proposed budget. This was a very real issue to the school board because the budget failed the first time last year and had it failed a second time the district would have had to go to a contingency budget.

Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Herman Sirois, noted that it is always difficult when a budget fails one year because services have to be cut in reducing the budget for a re-vote as Levittown did last year, but that those services can be returned in the following year's budget. Sirois added that no school district can survive a second budget failure without having to make some severe cuts to services.