BOE Seeks to Maintain Programs, Budget Set to Exceed Tax Cap

With state aid ticked up and from the teacher's union set to save the district $2.7 million next year, the Sachem Board of Education still finds itself in a precarious position.

As the board seeks to maintain the integrity of the district's programs and services in the face of declining revenues and rising expenses, the board is poised to ask taxpayers to approve a $291.36 million budget, which carries a 4.2 percent hike in the school tax rate. 

The budget, which is a 1.1 percent spending increase over the current year's budget, pierces the state's new two percent tax cap. What that means is simple: in order for the budget to pass, it must receive a super majority of 60 percent of the resident vote.

"I think we will probably get 60 percent," board member Michael Isernia said, referring to the results of the vote on the current budget, which received 62 percent of the on a proposed 4.49 percent hike in the tax levy.

"I don’t want to start creeping in the other direction," said Isernia, of making any further additions to the budget. 

Talk of a double-digit tax hike at the start of the budget talks has been calmed, due in part to the Sachem Central Teachers Association agreeing to defer a 2.5 percent salary increase. State aid to the district, under the newly adopted state budget, is also $1.5 million higher (a total of $106.3 million) than projected earlier this year.

Under new line items added to the budget this week, the district will fund 25 of the 30 positions left open by retirees at a cost of $1.9 million. The budget also provides $200,000 for the district's academic intervention services (AIS) program.

School board members said at their meeting Wednesday night at that the point of the proposed budget was to maintain current programs without adding anything new.

"It’s a rollover, less 5 teachers," board vice president Sal Tripi said. 

"That’s the concept of this budget," echoed Bruce Singer, the district's assistant superintendent of business. 

The school board chose to hold off on adopting the budget Wednesday night in order to mull over the new figures. Board members Michael Timo and Christine Lampitelli were also not in attendance. The board must vote on the budget by April 18, the date of its next meeting.

If the budget does not reach the 60 percent threshold at the public vote on May 15, the board has a few options: it can immediately adopt a contingency budget (no tax increase from the current year; would require more than $6 million in cuts), it can put the same budget up for a revote or it can put forth a revised budget for a revote. 

A revised budget in compliance with the tax cap would require $2.1 million in cuts. Two failed budgets means an automatic contingency budget.

"With rolling over this budget, we are keeping Sachem Sachem," board member Douglas Duncan said. "We are keeping Sachem on track."

"If we need to cut $6.1 million, Sachem will not be Sachem anymore. We are cutting into muscle now and if we need to cut $6.1 million, we will be cutting into bone."

Board members said they would be clear on what may be on the chopping block should the budget go down.

"We get killed because we threaten these programs," board member Anthony Falco said. "This is not a threat. This is what is actually going to happen."