The Mineola School District administration and board of education are expected to put out a proposed 2005-2006 school year budget before voters in May that reflects the recent patterns of conservative budget increases. But in order to do so, the board is expected to have to make some tough decisions.

The district and board of education are facing pressures on its proposed 2005-2006 budget. While the board will try to contain costs in its budget, it must contend with contractual increases, accruing retirement monies for the 2005-2006 school year, increases in health insurance and a projected $400,000 shortfall in state aid from what the district received for the 2004-2005 school year.

The goal for the Mineola Board of Education is to come up with a budget that will be supported by the public. According to the district's preliminary figures, the board is looking at a $69,243,496 budget that reflects a 6.58 percent increase in spending over the 2004-2005 budget and a 6.84 percent increase in the tax levy or the amount to be raised by taxes, although these numbers can change in the weeks ahead.

The board may have some difficult decisions to make to cut its budget down to a point where its spending increase is under 7 percent. The board is expected to make $2.5 to 3.5 million in cuts to expenses. The board is expected to discuss where the cuts will come from at its Thursday, March 17 meeting, which will take place at 8 p.m. at the Willis Avenue School.

The board may find itself in an even bigger bind if the budget should fail in May. Two years ago when the budget failed and the board adopted a contingency budget, there wasn't much different between the proposed budget and the contingency. However, if the budget was to fail this May, the board would have to cut $2,167,000 in order to adopt a contingency budget.

The reductions would have to come from non-mandated items in the budget. Because of the contractual agreement with the teachers association, the board cannot eliminate teaching positions. It is restricted to eliminating support staff.

Although Mineola High School is in desperate need of new windows, it looks as though the board isn't leaning toward putting the new windows in the budget. Instead, the board may put various projects as a referendum to be voted on the same day as the budget vote.

The plan being considered is an $11,154,287 plan that includes window and door replacements at the high school, middle school, Cross Street School and Jackson Avenue School; woodwork to the exterior of the building at the Jackson Avenue School; second and third floor renovation work and a bus loop at the middle school, renovation of the locker rooms at the high school, new high school auditorium seats and a stage floor and a building and grounds /transportation compound area.

According to the district, money from the lease of the districts communication antennas on top of the Empire State Building to Nextel will be used to make payment on the bond with a $0 to $2 yearly impact to the taxpayers. However, the plan must still receive taxpayer approval.