In an effort to put forth a 2005-2006 budget that would appeal to taxpayers, the Mineola Board of Education is considering making $3.18 million in cuts from its initial spending plan. Many of those cuts are expected to come from a staff reduction.

The board of education and superintendent of schools, Dr. Lorenzo Licopoli, have made it clear that they want to put together a fiscally responsible budget without making any cuts to programs. Therefore, the budget will include funding for current extra-curricular and co-curricular programs as well as mandated and appropriate levels of instructional support programs.

The board is expected to adopt a proposed 2005-2006 budget to put in front of voters in May at its March 31 meeting. The budget is expected to call for $68,793,496 in expenses, a 5.88 percent increase from the 2004-2005 budget that was passed by voters last May. The expected tax levy increase or the increase in the amount to be raised by taxes is 4.81 percent. Dr. Licopoli believes most of the spending and tax levy increase will be among the five lowest in the county.

In order to get to that point, though, the board is considering a number of cuts. In addition, the district is expected to use $600,000 of its unappropriated fund balance of $1,246,029 to reduce the tax levy leaving an unappropriated fund balance of $646,029.

Among some of the cuts being considered are:

* Reducing the central administration staff by three, including eliminating the assistant superintendent of secondary education, the director of personnel and the technology coordinator. The assistant superintendent of secondary education is Dr. Shari Camhi. The board already accepted the resignation for the purposes of retirement of personnel director Chris Marzuk. The district is then expected to hire a deputy superintendent for a total savings of $225,000.

* Reducing two central administration secretaries due to less administrators at a savings of $50,000.

* Reducing one part-time central office secretary at a savings of $15,000.

* Reducing the community worker position at a savings of $85,000. The district believes that the work can be re-allocated to the district's social workers as needed.

* Reducing the TV position at a savings of $85,000. The district believes the work can be re-allocated by sharing AV Prod-teacher.

* Reducing three part-time nurses at a savings of $60,000. Each building will have one full-time nurse and elementary teachers will teach health.

* Reducing three full-time teacher aides at a savings of $300,000. Teacher aide union president Laura Adams, who regularly attends board meetings, expressed her disappointment at these reductions.

* Reducing six permanent substitutes from 10 to four. However, because of the teacher's contract, the district must hire three back. They may be assigned as regular substitutes. The total savings is expected to be $96,000.

* Reducing a part-time Academically Gifted Program (AGP) teacher at a savings of $65,000.

* Reducing the teacher's assistant and character education teacher at the middle school/high school at a savings of $75,000.

* Eliminating three elementary school teacher positions at a savings of $390,000 through attrition since the district will have three less sections - two at Hampton Street School and one at Meadow Drive School.

* Eliminating an English teacher, two math teachers and an ESL teacher through attrition at a savings of $390,000. The district may have to fill one math teacher position.

* Eliminating six teachers at a savings of $270,000, although the district must hire back two or three as per the teacher's union contract.

Some other cuts involve the driver's education program being self-funded, eliminating the BOCES pre-school ombudsman program for 3-year-olds at the Willis Avenue School, reducing field trips, eliminating the contract for occupational therapists and creating in-house positions for occupational therapists, reducing cell phone use and entering into new contracts for insurance and to self-insure workman's compensation to save money.

"You agonize over it," said Dr. Licopoli of the cuts. "It's the hardest thing you can do. I wish there were an easy way. I think the community has made it clear that we need to be very cost effective."

The Mineola School District has received criticism for having the third highest spending per pupil in the county. Mineola's spending habits have accumulated over time. It wasn't until the last few years that the board and administration made a concerted effort to reduce expenses.

The next meeting of the board of education will be on March 31 at 7 p.m. in the Willis Avenue School. The board is expected to adopt the budget for 2005-2006 at this meeting.