It was announced earlier this week that the estimated tax rate increase for the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District will be substantially lower than the $5.16 increase stated in the proposed budget released to taxpayers in early May.

According to Pat Nicolino, educational consultant for the district, taxpayers will see an increase of approximately $4.50 per $100 of assessed valuation due to the release of better than expected factors used in computing the tax rate. The assessed valuations from the county were less than anticipated, and the state budget signed last week showed better than expected funding.

The district's proposed budget of $71.5 million, which will be voted on Tuesday, May 16, is an increase of just under $5.5 million. Several factors have fueled the burgeoning budget; most notably the opening of the Pasadena Elementary School and new debt service cost as a result of the $24 million bond referendum approved by voters in February, 1999.

According the district's budget brochure, the opening of Pasadena had a budgetary impact of $1,542,591, and the debt service costs totaled $594,158. Rising transportation and health insurance premium costs, cost the district $740,750, and academic intervention services mandated by the state cost the district an additional $588,700.

Despite the growth of the budget, Nicolino termed the 2000-2001 budget as being "fiscally conservative." He pointed to uncontrollable mandates, like the opening of Pasadena and higher health insurance costs, that made the growth inevitable.

"I honestly think the board has been very conscientious of keeping the tax rate increase down as low as possible while still keeping the educational programs intact," said Niccolino. "We did not dismantle one program for the kids. To me that is marvelous because we did not reduce any of the educational programs. In fact there were a couple of areas where incremental increases were made."

To exemplify the board's fiscal conservatism, the budget brochures that were sent to residents within the district contained an illustration that boasted the district had the second lowest per-pupil cost among Nassau County's top school districts.

"When you take all of those factors and just normal increases in the district I think the board did an excellent job," said Evy Rothman, president, board of education. "It did not cut any programs, it cut no staff, and it maintained all levels of educational opportunities for the students."

Nicolino was hired in March to assist in the development of the budget, after it became known that Superintendent Dr. Anthony Cavanna would be resigning at the school year's end. The retired former superintendent of the Babylon School District has worked as an interim superintendent and educational consultant in districts throughout Long Island for the last 10 years. In 1992 he assisted in the Plainview-Old Bethpages transition to a new superintendent.

There will be three propositions on the ballot in this year's budget/trustee vote. Proposition #1 relates to the proposed 2000-2001 budget; Proposition #2 relates to the library budget; and Proposition #3 relates to amending school district policy regarding the transportation. Proposition #3 was added to the ballot as a result of a voter-submitted proposition. It would eliminate mileage restrictions for transportation for all children in grades kindergarten though eight. If approved, Proposition #3 will add an additional 57 cents per $100 assessed valuation to the tax rate, separate from the proposed budget.