Ah! Spring can't be far away; the crocus and daffodils will soon be in bloom and our Mineola School Board is beginning to "quietly" beat the drums to see how much torture the taxpayers will submit to with regard to the upcoming school budget (Mineola American, Jan. 31). We have been forewarned with a high figure in the 8 to 9 percent range, but fear not, that is only "preliminary" and it is truly comforting to know that the vice president of the school board "is very happy with the configuration but the cost is a concern." Duh! Ask the voters if they are very happy with the configuration and is cost a concern? You betcha!

We have an out-of-control school system in Mineola, which has adopted a "cost is no concern" policy with regard to taxpayers. As a 26-year resident of this community, I have seen my school tax bill (in real dollars) increase from $950 to $3,750 per year, an increase of 295 percent.

Look at the decades:

1980s - $950 to $1,650 (74 percent increase during a period of relatively high inflation.)

1990s - $1,650 to $2,300 (40 percent increase during a period of low inflation.)

2000s - $2,300 to $3,750 (63 percent increase in only six years and a period of low inflation.)

The school board has no right to propose an increase. In fact, significant cost/tax reductions must be made. According to last year's survey of Long Island school districts by Newsday, Mineola had the second highest spending per student in Nassau County at almost $28,000 per year per student (that was before the $10.4 million bond issue was passed). Spending is even higher now. This is while the average cost per student, per year in Nassau County was somewhere between $16,000 and $18,000. This is 65 percent a year more per student. Even an affluent community such as Garden City had a cost under $18,000 per student. Why?

When we examine academic achievement (which is always the headline in the annual budget message to taxpayers), we see that Mineola ranks in the lower half of Nassau school districts. What are we paying for?

The school board as well as the administration of the school district has an obligation to provide the best possible service at the least cost (and that means what the taxpayers can afford). If we use cost per student and student achievement as measuring sticks, the record is not too good. The district proposes an 8 or 9 percent increase over last year's record increase. Is your salary, pension or Social Security increasing at that rate and is the cost of living rising that quickly? Hardly.

Why doesn't the school board, instead of showing us all the smiling faces in its annual budget message to the taxpayers, explain why its costs so much more in Mineola and why achievement is lower than average. Publish the salaries (including fringe and other compensation) of the administrators, educational staff and maintenance personnel and compare that to other, more efficient districts. Don't hold your breath. You'll never see it.

Sorry, Mineola School Board. An 8 or 9 percent increase doesn't cut it. Reduce costs and taxes at least down to the average of other Nassau County school districts and, by the way, bring up student achievement to at least the average. Average might not be best, but in this case, both would be an improvement.

The school board "needs to do far more with less," "to think outside the box" and "make the hard choices." These were all messages I received when I headed my department at work.

Perhaps:

• Full-year schooling, three semesters per year (can we afford not to?)

• Staff should be working a full 12 months per year just as the rest of us.

• Tenure? Is this a luxury and how much are we paying for this?

• Review staff salaries. Are we paying too much for administration? (salary cuts, freezes and hard line, no cost increase negotiations with upcoming contracts).

• Can we afford semester breaks and the continual holidays and long vacation periods each year?

• Are services being provided in excess of requirements (pre-K, school transportation, etc.)

• Is there excess infrastructure? (Strange that the school board mentioned closing a school after spending millions on the new Willis Avenue facility.)

• Compare Mineola with other districts on Long Island. Why can't we provide quality education for the same cost?

• This is not a question of state aid, but a question of how efficiently this district is being run.

• The realization that the commercial tax base is shrinking and the residential burden of taxation is increasing.

• Consolidation of school districts and administration, joint purchasing and contracts, eliminate duplication of services, etc.

John F. Ciesla