The Mineola School District will hold its first budget presentation at the Thursday, March 6 Board of Education workshop meeting, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Mineola Middle School music room.

As if school districts across Long Island didn't have a hard enough time putting a budget before voters that is fiscally conservative while managing to provide for services, school districts must deal this year with potential cuts in New York State aid.

Governor George Pataki's proposed 2003-2004 budget reflects cuts in state aid, cuts that will be felt by school districts if the budget is adopted. Some school districts will be faced with significant cuts in the amounts of money they receive from the state.

"It always hurts," said Mineola Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lorenzo Licopoli of the state aid cuts.

However, as Dr. Licopoli points out, Mineola could have been hurt much more than it was. The Mineola School District, which is comprised of four elementary schools, a middle school and a high school, will have its total state aid cut by $324,509, according to the governor's proposed budget. Last year, the Mineola School District received $3,887,639 in state aid while for 2003-2004, according to the governor's proposed budget, the district is expected to receive $3,563,130.

Still, other schools have been hit harder. The Elmont School District, for example, which is comprised of six elementary schools, may receive $1,691,034 less in state aid for 2003-2004 than it did in 2002-2003.

Still, even with Mineola's decrease in state aid, Dr. Licopoli said the district and the board of education is working to maintain all of its programs that the district feels are necessary while delivering a fiscally conservative budget.

The budget amounted to $50,445,680 in 1999-2000, $52,728,117 in 2000-2001, $57,488,644 in 2001-2002 and $59,177,490 in 2002-2003.

New York State Senator Michael Balboni is expressed concern about the governor's proposed cuts to education. "The Senate Subcommittees are taking a look at every component of the governor's budget in order to make recommendations that will become part of the Senate Budget Resolution. We need to continue to look at creative ways to generate revenue in order to avoid broad based tax increases. Our schools are one

of our most the most important institutions. We need to do all that we can

to preserve them," Balboni said.

Dr. Licopli said the board of education has given him the green light to pursue the possibility of having a full-day kindergarten program at the new Willis Avenue School when the building opens at the beginning of the 2003-2004 school year. The district is in the process of figuring out a cost for the endeavor.