The special meeting of the Mineola Board of Education Thursday night was well attended as community members packed the cafeteria of the Willis Avenue School, where they witnessed the board adopt a proposed budget for the 2005-2006 school year. Before the vote, at the end of the evening, residents sat through a detailed budget presentation and then voiced concerns about the cuts being proposed, mostly concerning the cuts to teachers aides.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lorenzo Licopoli and the board of education made it clear that the district wants to put in front of voters a budget for the 2005-2006 school year that is affordable to the community, yet maintains the same level of curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular programs as in 2004-2005.

In the district's educational plan, it states that the 2005-2006 budget is expected to fund current levels of academic programs, needed levels of non-instructional staff, excellent pre-K to 12th grade class size levels, current levels of athletic programs, current levels of co-curricular and extra-curricular programs, appropriate levels of field trips, allocation for all contractual increases and allocations for all increases in health insurance and retirement systems.

The proposed budget that will be put before voters on May 17 amounts to $68,855,901, a 5.98 percent increase over the 2004-2005 budget. The tax levy or the amount to be paid for with tax dollars amounts to $62,521,621, an increase of 4.95 percent over the 2004-2005 budget.

According to the district, using the current 2004-2005 tax rate schedule, the passing of the 2005-2006 budget would increase the average homeowner's tax bill without any STAR exemptions by $218. For those with Basic STAR, the increase figures to be $178 per year and for those with the Enhanced STAR, the increase figures to be $143 per year.

Dr. Licopoli estimates that the proposed budget-to-budget and tax levy increase in for Mineola will be among the five lowest in Nassau County. However, before the district arrived at one of the most modest increases in the county, the board had to consider some difficult cuts.

Cuts to the proposed 2005-2006 budget amounted to an estimated $3,146,000. Since no programs were to be sacrificed except for a BOCES program for 3-year-olds, which saved the district an estimated $100,000, the board turned its attention to staffing reductions.

Among some of the staffing reductions were cutting the assistance superintendent for secondary education, director of personnel and technology coordinator. Director of Personnel Chris Marzuk had announced his retirement. The district then plans to hire a deputy superintendent at a salary of $175,000 to $185,000. The expected total savings from the reduction of central administration with the hiring of a deputy superintendent is $225,000.

Cuts also included the reduction of two central office secretaries, a part-time central office secretary, three part-time nurses, four permanent substitutes, a part-time AGP teacher, three less elementary teachers since the district has two less sections at the Hampton Street School and one at Meadow and the reduction of an English teacher, two math teachers and an ESL teacher through attrition. In addition, the board is planning to reduce six additional teachers. However, because of an agreement in the contract with the teacher's union, the district must hire three more. A business teacher who will be reduced will be replaced by a high school English leave replacement teacher; a librarian will be reduced and replaced with a social studies leave replacement teacher at the high school and another business teacher will reduced and replaced with a regular sub. The other three teachers who will be reduced are a school nurse teacher, elementary teacher and physical education teacher.

Another cut that was talked about at the budget presentation was to cell phones. The district had been spending approximately $105,000 on cell phones and estimates cutting $90,000 of that. According to assistant superintendent for finance and operations Dr. Lee Chapman, some cell phones have been taken away and some have been billed for personal calls made.

However, the cuts that some of those who attended the budget presentation were most concerned with were those to the teacher's aides. The board is considering as part of the budget cuts reducing 27 teacher aide positions for a savings of $300,000. Of the 27, nine will come from the Willis Avenue School. Each kindergarten class will have a half-time aide as opposed to a full-time aide.

District resident Maria Bradley spoke out against the cuts to the teacher aides, saying the aides make a big difference in the classroom. "I think this is a big mistake," she said.

"I just don't know how you can do that," said another resident.

Another sentiment among some residents was that the kindergarten program at the Willis Avenue School is one of the strengths of the district and that the board is considering diluting it.

Dr. Licopoli pointed out that none of the mandated supported staff positions are being reduced and the districts aides per student ratio is still the best around.

According to the district's teacher aide study, there were 108.5 full-time equivalent positions in the Mineola School District in 2004-2005 whereas only 41.5 are mandated.

Assistant superintendent for elementary education Sherri Goffman tried to assure those in attendance that the staff would be able to handle the needs of the students.

Still, some community members urged the board to not cut back on teacher aides. Teacher Aide Association President Laura Adams thanked the community for the support in re-instating the positions.

Board vice president Donna Strein said that making cuts to the budget hurts but the board is considering them in an effort to put forth a budget the public can support. "If we kept everything status quo, we would have had a double-digit budget increase. Cutting hurts. Nobody wants to cut. We have to cut," she said.

Board of Education President Roseann Buglione said that although the budget has been adopted, changes could still be made to the allocations.

The next board of education meeting is Thursday, April 7 at 8 p.m. in the Willis Avenue School cafeteria. There is expected to be a report on the recently released state report cards.