More than 150 parents, students and teachers attended the March 18 budget planning session meeting in hopes of receiving answers regarding recent teacher layoff rumors. The influx of attendees, which included several media outlets, forced the Levittown Board of Education to move the meeting into the LMEC auditorium.

Board President Gina Interdonato opened the meeting by saying, "We understand that the students are here and we appreciate you coming tonight."

Then Superintendent Dr. Herman Sirois immediately addressed the crowd, saying he had met with the board, students, faculty and administration over the past few days regarding the staffing issue.

"I learned a lot and I think we were able to get to the bottom of some of the confusion," he said. "I'd like to thank [the students] for being so respectful."

Several rumors surrounding teacher cuts in the upcoming budget were circulated among the media, schools and Levittown households.

These developments come several months after the school district announced the 2006-07 budget was overexpended by about 2 percent.

The cause, according to Dr. Sirois, was "that the numbers for some teachers' salaries were not encumbered" in the budget. In August 2007, he said the $7 million gap would be dealt with by "trimming the budget wherever possible."

He said at the time that "we will hold off on buying new buses, hold off on some capital projects and then make adjustments in the budget expenditures."

Regarding the reports of teacher cuts, Dr. Sirois said this year's staffing changes were "no different than any other year."

"I want to assure all of you that the staffing for next year's budget has nothing at all to do with the budget errors that were made last year," he explained. "For whatever reason, the students got information that was not correct."

Dr. Sirois also claimed that "this year's budget does not reduce staffing ratios." As it currently stands, schools receive one teacher per 25 students.

"Staff increases and decreases come after meeting with principals," he explained.

Sometimes principals can't get a schedule to work, they ask for extra teachers and that request is reviewed by the district.

"Last week the teacher's union asked for a range of teacher needs," Dr. Sirois added. "Due to enrollment changes we told them a range."

According to Dr. Sirois, the district is in a better position to narrow that range to a more accurate number in April.

While he did not list the exact number of teacher needs, Dr. Sirois mentioned districtwide teacher cuts of 25 to 35, before settling on the number 15. He did not mention which schools would be affected the most.

"If we lose 100 students in a year, we lose four teachers," he explained. "Every year there is an adjustment."

However, Levittown United Teachers President Therese Rogers said numerous teachers were told they could be losing their jobs.

"There were numerous teachers told last week that they might be losing their jobs," Rogers added. "This is very upsetting. The teachers have nothing to do with student protests. The teachers' union and the district have had a harmonious relationship and it is not clear to me why the district is blaming the teachers."

A Levittown woman with two children at Division Avenue High School said her daughter came home crying because her science teacher said she was one of the teachers being let go. Her son participated in a protest at DAHS on March 18, where over 100 students walked out of school midday. Several parents said they also attended the demonstration to ensure their children were acting appropriately.

Referring to a pay increase for administration slated in the upcoming budget, MacArthur parent Diana Timpano questioned, "How can he justify an increase in his salary and his administrations' salaries when he's cutting teachers?"

According to the New York State Department of Education website, the enrollment numbers are not decreasing at the middle or high school levels.

In the past two years, Salk Middle School saw enrollment numbers at 1,101 in 2006 and 1,096 in 2007, while Wisdom Lane Middle School's enrollment was 933 in 2004/05 and 941 in 2005/06. Enrollment at MacArthur High School was at 1,295 in 2005 and 1,347 in 2006, while DAHS' enrollment numbers were 1,179 in 2005/06 and 1,244 in 2007. At the elementary school level, Abbey Lane is constructing an additional wing to accommodate students.

The total enrollment between Salk Middle School and MacArthur High School has risen by a total of 34.8 percent since 1998, according to the enrollment trends chart provided by Levittown Assistant Superintendent for Administration and Personnel Darlene Rhatigan. As for Division Avenue High School, they have experienced a more moderate 21.4 percent increase over this same period, with numbers rising from 1,024 to 1,244. This information was provided to the Levittown Tribune for a November 2007 article.

On March 26 the board will hold a budget hearing and adopt the 2008/09 budget, however the next regular board meeting is slated for Wednesday, April 9 at 8 p.m.