Schools

Restored High Tax Aid Drops Smithtown School Budget Deficit to $2.7M

The deficit could be eliminated if Tier 1 cuts are implemented.

The Smithtown Central School District recently had some state aid restored for the 2013-14 school year, reducing its budget deficit from $4.5 million to $2.7 million.

Leaders from New York State announced March 27 that school aid totals for the upcoming budget year would be restored, with more than $1.43 million being restored to Smithtown school's that had been cut in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposal.

Initially, the district was expecting to receive $580,203 in high tax aid, with much of the money expected taken away to be given to other school districts in the state in need of financial help. With the restored aid Smithtown will receive $1.9 million in high tax aid.

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With the restored state aid, the board has the option of voting to choose an amended version of the Tier 1 budget reductions to eliminate the deficit, leaving the district with a $5,076 surplus and a budget with a 3.6 percent property tax increase.

A few of the Tier 1 reductions include $782,000 in attrition and retirement, $540,000 from the cancellation of the literacy program, $365,000 in the reduction of five full-time middle school employees, and $360,000 in the reduction of four full-time elementary school employees due to declining enrollment.

Find out what's happening in Smithtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Click here to see the orignal Tier 1 cuts.

Dozens of student-musicians attended the when word got out that the music department may face cuts, but left a little more at ease when finding out the restored state aid kept the programs safe for at least the upcoming school year.

"It's very rare that you could make anybody happy in this job. I don't want to see anything cut," said Superintendent Anthony Annunziato. "It's a sigh of relief for a year."

Not all news was pleasant Tuesday night as Board of Education President Gladys Waldron and board member Grace Plourde both spoke up against one Tier 1 reduction: sixth grade physical education going from every day to alternating days with study hall.

"You need somebody there to oversee the study hall so why not have them in a class of physical education with 45 kids like they have now with a teacher and get physical exercise?" Waldron said after the meeting.

The board will vote to adopt the proposed 2012-13 budget during the April 9 board meeting. The meeting will take place at 8 p.m. in the Joseph M. Barton building.


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