Seeking to remedy an unexpected shift in the school tax burden for homeowners and to establish a formal procedure for notification of base proportion figures - a component in each school district's yearly budget estimate of school tax rates - Elmont School District officials recently met with Nassau County Board of Assessors Chairman Charles O'Shea.

The meeting with Mr. O'Shea opened a dialogue with the Nassau County Department of Assessment. The school tax levy is apportioned among 4 classes: Class I - 1, 2 and three-family homes; Class II - other residential; Class III - utilities, and Class IV - commercial property.

The Elmont Board of Education and Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Palandra appealed for a review of the shift in the 2000-2001 tax apportionment that resulted in the increased tax burden for Elmont homeowners. To reduce the impact of the added tax increase, the board of trustees voted in June to apply $500,000 in additional state aid received through the efforts of local legislators to lower the tax levy.

School officials and Mr. O'Shea discussed possible avenues by which the district could alleviate future impacts on the community.