The Levittown Property Owners Association met on April 8, with Levittown Schools Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance, Jeffrey Carlson, as guest speaker. Carlson, who grew up in a farm family in Huntington, "heard about Levittown all his life," and thought "it was a great place to raise a family." He has worked in the school district for not quite a year. His remarks were enlightening but disturbing to his attentive audience as they contemplated inevitable tax increases.

The tax picture is bleak for the coming year, he pointed out, due to deficits in New York state and Nassau County budgets. The state has cut aid to education $1.2 billion statewide, for Levittown, by $5.6 million less in aid next year from this year. Carlson said "Most of the yearly budget increases we have little control over as salaries are regulated by union contracts and many budgeted items such as retirement contributions, busing, special education, and other services are state mandated."

Other factors involved are the poor economy, decreasing stock investments causing an increase in employer retirement contributions, a 13 percent increase in health insurance, the state mandated requirement for defibrillators in every school and increased transportation costs. The 2003-4 budget will increase seven percent from 2002-3 budget. The loss of $5.6 million in state aid, plus the 7 percent budget increase results in a rise in the tax rate of 18.1 percent.

The school board is presently waiting to hear from Nassau County as to what Class I property tax increases will be. This tax levy is usually set by the county around Aug. 15. Carlson gave LPOA executive board members a tentative or "working draft" of the 2003-4 budget prepared by the school board which had not yet been approved and adopted but would be voted on the following week.

The school board wants to spread the state aid decrease over several years through a $12 million bond for capital improvement projects included in the budget, Carlson said. It can use "fund balance" money (what Carlson calls "rainy day" or emergency money) of $2 million now available for projects but this would have to be replaced. The state will give us aid over 15 years to match the proposed 15-year bond to pay for capital projects now needed. These include classroom construction at Division Avenue, MacArthur, Salk and Wisdom Lane, auditorium reconstruction at Division, MacArthur, Salk and Memorial, asbestos abatement, reconstruction of heating systems at MacArthur, Abbey Lane and Summit Lane, and other work. To do this work through a 15-year bond rather than including it in the budget decreases the impact of the reduction in state aid, Carlson stated. He added that "we now have three bonds, totaling $34 million, outstanding. The safety of buildings is our first consideration, and we have $3.5 million in the budget for capital improvements just to maintain conditions in 11 separate schools. If a bond passes, this can be lowered by $2 million. Bonds are not for operating expenses, but for capital improvements."

When asked if he was only speaking for this year, Carlson said he can't guarantee what will happen in the future. The budget for 2003-4 is at $136.9 million, up from $127.9 million, he noted.

Questions from the audience included: Why air conditioning in auditoriums? Does this improve learning? Will capital projects increase? Why rent a building to BOCES when we need extensions put on present schools? Isn't this more expensive than using the rented out school? What if we "freeze" the budget? How about cutting staff? What is the amount of this year's capital improvement funds? How can retired or people on fixed incomes support large increases in state, county, and school taxes? What projects specifically does this bond include as no one has a copy of it in front of us? What about "give backs" from teachers, from pension plans? Do you (the board) listen to us or just make "studies?" Do you take our comments and questions back to them? What is the interest rate on the proposed bond?

Responses from Carlson included: As for air conditioning in auditoriums, this would increase their use, and Superintendent Sirois has received numerous phone calls on this, but the school board can remove this item from the bond. A copy of the bond resolution specifying capital projects will be mailed to voters. Using the BOCES-rented school would require re-districting, hiring more teachers, etc. and is "not viable." The budget can't be "frozen" as yearly costs are mandated. Principals have been told to "keep their budgets within this year's." Even so, the budget increase is seven percent. Staff is now 1,300 full-time employees; there were 1100 seven years ago, but enrollment has increased. Capital projects take about seven months for state approval, so this year's projects for 2002-3, just submitted, are "sitting on the shelf" and won't get approved until summer. Mandated defibrillators are an expense requiring additional trained personnel and staff, yet the state (which provides $25,000) does not provide sufficient funds for this. The interest rate on the bond is about 4 percent.

Carlson added that presenting a bond to voters, not for operating expenses but for capital improvements or maintenance of buildings will spread the loss in state aid over several years, and will reduce the tax rate from an increase of 18.1 percent to 11.9 percent. This maintenance requires about $4 million yearly.

If the budget and/or bond vote fail on May 20, a second vote is permitted, and if this fails, the budget can be cut by 2.9 million with a contingency budget which still requires a tax increase of 14.5 percent due to the state aid reduction, or, go directly to austerity, resulting in increased class size and limited extra-curricular programs. If both the bond and budget are approved, plus the use of fund balance money for capital projects, then the tax rate increase will be 11.9 percent - not 18.1 percent, Carlson said.

It was suggested that school board meetings begin too late. Some begin at 9:15 p.m., after performances from students. President Morrow thought attendance would improve if there was more freedom to exchange ideas and remarks, and that these not be "restricted to three minutes" at one time only. LPOA representative to the board meetings, Andy Booth, said we should attend board meetings and budget hearings to find out "what's going on." School board member John Garvey supported this suggestion.

In his concluding remarks, Carlson explained the need for a bond at this time to cover the loss of revenue from state aid. The bond provides funds for capital improvement projects or maintenance of buildings. The 7 percent increase in the budget reflects mandated costs. Without passage of the budget and the bond, tax rates increase by 18.1 percent; with their passage, by 11.9 percent.

The next meeting of the LPOA on May 13, will have Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray as guest speaker. Murray is a resident of Levittown and attended Levittown schools. The meeting is at 7:30 p.m. in the Levittown Library Community Room.