This Tuesday, May 16, qualified Plainview-Old Bethpage School District residents will be eligible to vote on the proposed 2005-2006 school budget. Voting will take place between 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Jamaica Avenue School, Old Bethpage School and Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School.

In addition, two board of education seats and the proposed Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library budget will be on the ballot.

According to the board of education, they directed administration to develop a 2005-06 budget that did not increase beyond the total of next year's mandated increases. "Our administrators have worked diligently, seeking ways to make reductions to other areas of the budget without significantly impacting the programs and services offered to our students," the board said in a recent newsletter. "We are pleased to report that, due to these reductions, the projected 2005-06 budget increase is actually lower than the total of the mandated increases. The proposed 2005-06 budget is $104,446,548 - an increase of $5,795,358, which is 5.87 percent over the current year's budget. This is among the lowest percentage increases in all of Nassau County, and the lowest percentage increase we have had in the last six years."

The proposed budget will allow the district to maintain the in-district programs that it has worked hard to put in place. The budget, according to the board, will continue to afford the students the high quality of education that the community has come to expect, despite the fact that the district continues to be burdened with unfunded and under-funded mandates.

The total budget increase between the proposed budget and the current budget is 5.87 percent or $5,795,358. Of this total increase, $1,745,153 is attributable to New York State requiring increased contributions to employee retirement systems. Another $1,351,728 is attributable to increases in other benefits such as disability insurance for aides and health insurance. As a result of the escalating costs in the operation of buses, the board anticipates an increase in the student transportation costs of $174,364.

Contractual salary increases amounting to $1,825,823 are also included in this budget. Such increases encompass all groups of district employees, including teachers, administrators and support staff. These contractual and other mandated costs exceed the proposed budget increases.

Beyond all of these mandated expenses, the board included certain new discretionary programs and initiatives for the technology and additional instructional staff. However, according to the board, their costs are more than offset by a reduction in supplies and equipment to bring the total proposed budget increase to be less than the contractual and other mandated increase.

There are two open seats for the Plainview-Old Bethpage Board of Education and Ginger Lieberman and Debbie Bernstein are running unopposed for these seats. It is an uncontested election.

Voting will take place between 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Jamaica Avenue School, Old Bethpage School and Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School on Tuesday, May 17.