School And Library Budget Vote May 15

Written by Joe Scotchie: jscotchie@antonnews.com Friday, 11 May 2012 00:00

No challengers for BOE incumbents

The three incumbents on the Roslyn School Board - Adam Haber, Dani E. Kline and David Seinfeld - are not facing any challengers in the May 15 budget vote. However, voters in the Roslyn School District will vote on both a school and library budget. The library vote is listed as Proposition #2 on the ballot.

Both budgets reflect the same belt-tightening measures that have been adopted by local village governments. The proposed 2012-13 school budget amounts to $99,445,327, a 1.85 percent increase over last year’s budget. According to school district officials, the projected tax levy increase stands at 1.76 percent.

The proposed budget contains spending decreases in the human resources, garage building, recreation, contract transportation, health services and statutory bonds segments. The MTA payroll tax, meanwhile, faces a 100 percent decrease as the $187,000 expenditure has been eliminated entirely. Slight spending increases are projected in the computer assisted instruction, state employee retirement, unemployment insurance and the installation purchasing debt-state aided segments.

“Roslyn’s careful fiscal planning has…avoided… serious budget problems but has enabled us to embark on new initiatives,” said Superintendent Dr. Dan Brenner in his budget message. “Roslyn will eliminate some teaching positions in 2012-13, but only in response to a slight decline in enrollment, not because of any changes in program or policy.”

Dr. Brenner added that recent school district iniatives such as literacy, foreign languages, math and technology programs would continue “or even expand.” Dr. Brenner also said that while there are no capital improvement referendums on this year’s ballot, projects approved in previous votes remain ongoing.

The proposed library budget is $4,806,035. This represents a slight increase in expenditures from the $4,657,257 total in 2011-12. The projected budget contains increases in the staff, building operations, equipment and capital improvement portions. There are spending decreases in both the library materials and general operations budgets. Projected revenues remain the same as last year, coming in at $4,590,057.

“The library board of trustees passed a resolution to override the 2 percent tax cap at its regularly scheduled board meeting of February 24,” said Mark Yohalem, president of the library’s board of trustees in a recent letter to school district voters. “However, the proposed 2012/2013 budget reflects a zero percent increase to the taxpayer.  We have used the projected net income for 2011-2012 and appropriated fund balance to offset any increase to the community.”

Yohalem added that the library found savings from other staff hour reductions, plus partnerships with the Friends of Bryant Library, local non-profit institutions and purchasing cooperatively with the Nassau Library System. Yohalem also said that state grants have helped to defray the costs of telecommunication services.

Voting on May 15 will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Roslyn High School.

To vote in a school election, an individual must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years old by election day, a resident in the Roslyn School District for at least 30 days by election day and registered to vote.

Call the district clerk at 801-5002 for absentee ballots or additional voter information.  

Call 801-5030 for additional budget information, or visit the district’s website at www.roslynschools.org.