School Board Approves Initial Expenditure Total

Sachem’s board of education voted Wednesday night to adopt an operating budget of $287.8 million for the 2011-12 school year.

Bruce Singer, Sachem’s assistant superintendent of business, presented numbers that suggest a 4.8 percent tax rate, but no other specifics on the budget were released.

The regularly scheduled board meeting was held at Sachem High School North instead of its normal location at Samoset Middle School because Samoset’s stage is covered with scenery for its musical, Little Shop of Horrors.

Talk of staffing and personnel was minimal. Sachem Superintendent James Nolan said if any staffing is cut, it’s as a result of attrition and a decrease in enrollment.

“We’re going course by course by department and we’re trying to determine which courses do not have strong enough enrollment, that will directly impact a reduction in staff,” he said. “We are experiencing a reduction in enrollment at the elementary level. Our days of graduating 1,500 a class are now down to around a ballpark of 900. Our hope is still, to the best of our ability, to keep class sizes down.

“With a slow and steady decline in enrollment, unfortunately, over a period of time we’ll see a reduction in staff.”

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Singer’s numbers show a budgeted $1 million reduction in staffing, which the district has not released specific information about, and $1.2 million in reduction of capital projects. He also figures there should be $5 million in excessed reserve funds by June 2012.

Among the co-curricular activities on the chopping block are summer school ($347,000), JV9 sports ($243,871), a reduction of middle school sports from two teams to one ($286, 899) and co-curricular activities across all schools, which are subject to suspension via school administrators ($426,914).

Among the capital projects still remaining on the district’s revised list is the fire suppression system for all elementary school kitchens, which will run about $720,000 ($65,000 for architect and construction manager fees).

Singer also warned that if the community votes down the proposed budget in May, another $1.4 million in cuts would be made.

With a looming unknown state aid figure still waiting to be handed down by Albany, Singer said any found money will be used in one of three ways: to increase expenditures, to decrease the tax rate, which is ultimately set in October, or to pad the reserve fund.

The board, which voted 6-2 in favor of the expenditure total, had it’s only opposition from trustees Christine Lampitelli and Jim LaCarrubba. Trustee Mike Isernia was not present for the meeting.

The official budget vote will take place May 17 with a public hearing scheduled for May 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Samoset.

The board of education will meet again for a work session April 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the usual location at Samoset.