At Wednesday's Board of Education meeting held at Samoset Middle School, the board officially adopted its 2013-14 spending plan with a 7.49% tax levy increase.
The total budget for the operating year amounts to $293,041,954, a 0.57 percent increase from this year's plan, according to a release from the district.
With the increase of 7.49%, the district has preserved a number of programs previously on the chopping block, including co-curricular sports, the music program, the G.A.T.E program, kindergarten and it will hold the line on elementary school class sizes.
“What we’re proposing is a budget that has been revised, reorganized, rethought, cleared, and changed tremendously to where we are able to go out to the community with a proposed budget that restores all cuts or reductions that would have affected students,” Sachem Board of Education President Rob Scavo stated in a release. “We listened to the community and we made changes.”
According to the district's calculations, the 7.49% levy will average out to an extra $484 per year for the average household. The percent levy increase nearly doubles the state-mandated tax cap limit, so in order to pass it will need a 60% super-majority vote, similar to last year. In the event that the budget fails, the board can roll out its tax cap budget of 3.14%, which will see the elimination of programs such as GATE, state minimum requirements for music across the board and half-day kindergarten, for starters. In the event that the tax cap budget fails, the district will go to 0% tax increase and further cuts would include closing two middle schools.
Residents will vote on the proposed 7.49% budget on Tuesday, May 21.
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