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School Budget Vote - May 18 - PASSED!
It is the obligation of this generation, as it has been of previous generations, to provide today’s students with a quality education, an education that will enable our community’s children to meet the challenges of the 21st century. To that end, the Central High School District constantly revises its curricula to respond to the changing demands of an extremely competitive global economy. Several years ago our primary goal was simpler, namely to assure that all students received the foundations of a quality education. Today, we must assure that all students have the skills, abilities and experiences to be critical thinkers. To achieve this goal, we challenge our students to pursue the most rigorous curriculum possible. At the same time, we recognize that adolescents must be exposed to a variety of experiences. Thus, we provide 21 Advanced Placement courses; a unique performing arts program; sports and after school club programs; an independent science research program; and a vast variety of elective courses.
However, the School Board recognizes that the national, state and local economies continue to reel from the financial meltdown of Fall 2008. Whereas the State provided us with a constant amount of state aid education money this past year, it has now reduced our state aid by more than $2 million for 2010-11, a loss in excess of 12% of our current year’s state aid amount. This loss must be made up through either program reductions/eliminations or by higher property taxes, or a combination of both. Thus, the School Board directed Administration to review each and every element of the school district budget. This review produced a Superintendent’s recommended budget with less than a 1% increase from year to year; the School Board majority adopted this 0.8% budget increase to place upon the May 18, 2010 ballot for the community’s consideration. As a result of the significant state aid loss, the tax levy increase across the three elementary districts and four classes of property amounts to 2.99% even with a budget increase of less than 1%, an increase that is among the lowest increases in Nassau County.
At its April 6, 2010 Business Meeting, the Valley Stream Central High School District adopted a budget in the amount of $100,681,122, an increase of 0. 82%. This budget will be presented to the District’s voters on Tuesday, May 18, in each of the three component elementary districts as follows:
District 13 – 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Wheeler Avenue School
James A. Dever School
Howell Road School
Willow Road School
District 24 – 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
South Corona Avenue Firehouse, between Jamaica Avenue and Hawthorne Avenue
William L. Buck School
Brooklyn Avenue School
Robert W. Carbonaro School
District 30 - 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Clear Stream Avenue School
Shaw Avenue School
Forest Road School.
Determining the balance between providing our students with the quality education they need and the ability of the community to pay for those programs has been the challenge addressed by our School Board during the past four months of budget meetings. During these meetings, school administrators and School Board members discussed the effects on school programs of the current economic plight. Much debate ensued regarding how to find the right balance. At the end of the day, the majority of School Board members voted to approve a budget that eliminated a number of positions including teachers, administrators, teaching assistants, cleaners, monitors, and clerical personnel. Though no instructional programs will be eliminated, average class size will increase. In addition, Adult Education fees will be increased as will tuitions related to summer school enrichment courses.
In accordance with recent State law, the following documents are being made available to the public (please click on links to view each document):
1. Budget Statement
2. Property Tax Report Card
3. School Academic Report Cards (Accountability Report, Comprehensive Information Report)
4. Fiscal Accountability Supplement
5. Salary Disclosure Notice
6. Exemption Reporting for Taxing Jurisdictions (District 13, District 24, District 30)
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