From recent articles in the Mineola American, and the pointed questions being raised at district budget meetings, the Mineola School Board is coming under increasing, and justified, scrutiny by the residents of our community. The school budget vote is coming up shortly, and we will be voting for at least one school board member position. It is essential that every voter take a good hard look at what is going on in the Mineola School District.

Facts:

• Our cost per student is the second highest in Nassau County at $28,000 per student. Some 69 percent above the Nassau County average. Why?

• Debt service will increase by 44.96 percent in the 2007-08 school budget. Largely due to the huge bond issue of last year, which even the school board stated, much of the work should have been done preventively under the regular operating budget.

• Over 78 percent of the school budget is going to staff salaries.

• 2007-08 superintendent of school salary is projected to be $247,760.

• School administrators' salaries: 22 administrators, $117,000 -$157,000 (Why so many positions when we only have seven schools?).

• Clerical staff: six staff, $63,000-$69,000.

• Instructors' salaries: Ranging to well over $100,000 for 10 months/year positions. (How many of us make over $100,000 and work only 10 months/year?)

• Mineola has more instructors/student and pays them more than the Nassau County average. Why?

• At the current rate of budget increase it will cost $56,164 per student by the year 2020 (based on a new student entering in 2007, and graduating in 2020).

Take a good hard look at the proposed budget, which is posted on the Mineola School District website: http://www.mineola.k12.ny.us.

It is generally uninteresting reading, with columns and columns of numbers. What is interesting is that the school board stated that they reorganized budget categories for 2007-08, which is fine, but makes it impossible to make comparisons for budget items from year to year. This makes it appear to be a form of "shell" game in hiding costs. Be patient, for the best is to be found beginning in appendix two (Page 39), where the details on staff salaries, and staffing levels are listed. This information is truly shocking, and the salaries listed are before benefits, which when added raise costs far higher.

The superintendent salary is perhaps the most extraordinary, and yes, similar positions in nearby school districts are just as high. But can this continued insanity be justified? The employees of this school district are public employees and should receive fair and just compensation, but not to the point where they are having a profound economic impact on residents lives. We, the voters, are largely responsible for permitting this to get so out of control; we have trusted the school board to manage our schools in a prudent and cost-effective manner, and they have not done so. They are without effective oversight, reporting to no one. We as taxpayers and voters have little more than this annual symbolic vote, and must regain control of the school board, and bring some sense of fiscal order into this school system.

Let's take a look at this comparison:

Mineola School District total budget: $75,664,470

New York City Board of Education budget: $14 billion

City of Boston budget: $734,500,000

Mineola School District employees: 528

New York City Board of Education employees: 120,000

City of Boston: 9,110

Mineola School District students: 2,700

New York City students: one million+

City of Boston: 57,000

Mineola School District: five schools (not including Willis Avenue)

New York City Schools: 1,200+

City of Boston: 145

Mineola cost/student: $28,000/year

NYC cost/student: $14,000/year

City of Boston: $14,000/year

Superintendent of Schools - Mineola: $247,760/year

Chancellor of Schools - New York City: $250,000/year (highest paid New York City employee)

Superintendent of Schools - Boston: $212,000/year (highest paid Boston employee)

Is there something wrong with the above picture?

We all need to get out to vote ... against the school budget, and even more importantly to vote out every incumbent member of the school board, for as long as it takes, until we see substantial reductions made in costs, and taxes are lowered a corresponding amount. Do not listen to the fear tactics that the quality of education is going to suffer, or that the world will somehow come to an end here in Mineola. If other districts and cities can be more cost effective, and maintain quality education, then why can't Mineola?

John F. Ciesla