Lindy BOE Preserves Program, Cuts Sandy Transportation Costs in 2013-14 Budget

After weeks of budget workshops, the Lindenhurst Board of Education has finalized a 2013-14 budget that features a 1.99 percent tax levy and the removal of 66 aide positions and $1.1 million in reserves.

The Board is set to adopt the budget on April 25 at 7 p.m. at a special meeting at the McKenna Administration Building.* (*This information's been updated to reflect the change, per information shared by the Lindenhurst School District.)

The 1.99 percent tax levy breaks down to an annual school tax increase of $221.14 for the average home assessed at $4,500, according to Superintendent Richard Nathan.

There were a few additional cuts the BOE voted to implement beyond the recommended personnel cuts the administration proposed as a result of a change to the Lindenhurst School District’s special education program model (moving to an Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) Model at the elementary school level from the current Inclusion Model), as well as declining enrollment and attrition.

Click here to read about the reserves used to reduce the tax levy.

Click here to read about the cuts in aides and other personnel changes and about the change in the special education program.

The Cuts
The BOE cut $300,000 allocated in next year’s budget for transportation for Hurricane Sandy-displaced students.

The number of students has decreased from 160 at a cost of $80,000 a month to 49 at a cost of $18,000 a month. The District expects that number to decrease even further come September based on constant contact with displaced families.

It also expects to receive back roughly two-thirds of the almost $500,000 it’ll have spent by June as a result of Senator Chuck Schumer’s call for federal transportation relief for superstorm-stricken districts.

Schumer called on the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force to help reimburse local school districts that have seen increased transportation costs for students displaced by the superstorm at a press conference at Harding Avenue Elementary School on April 8.

Schumer said at the conference Congress passed legislation to reduce the impact on local governments, so it makes sense for some of that aid to go to districts to help them transport students affected by the storm.

The other cut the BOE approved was $107,411 for a Lindenhurst High School dean who’s retiring.

What Was Kept
However, there were several other programs on the chopping block and program modifications presented to the BOE voted to keep or maintain as is in an effort to keep as much program intact as possible - after making many cuts and modifications in order to save money in the last couple of years.

Those programs the BOE either kept from being cut or modified included:

• JROTC (net cost: $186,878).
• Marching Band (stayed as competitive versus non-competitive; cost: $47,476).
• Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Sports Teams (weren’t combined; cost: $83,000).
• Eighth-Grade Advanced Art Program (cost: $107,568).
• Four-Fifths Section of Psychology (cost: $57,692).
• Film Study (cost: $106,960).
• Three Sections of Theater Arts (cost: $76,439).
• Fourth-Grade Instrumental Program (cost: $362,930).