Smithtown Schools Adopt $224 Million Budget

The Smithtown School District on Tuesday voted to adopt a $224.4 million 2013-1014 budget that will cut nearly $3 million in spending through teacher, staff, programs and materials cuts by a unanimous vote.

The budget will raise the tax levy by 3.63 percent, which factoring in exemptions, puts it under the state cap.

Administrators and board members had warned in of deep cuts through the latest budget season, though the restoration of the state’s high tax aid saved the district from pitching harsher reductions.

"Thank God for the additional state aid, it helped to reduce the cuts," said Board President Gladys Waldron. "I hope this budget is passed as we looked at the cuts that would affect the least amount of students. I hope the people support it, because if we have to go into Tier 2 cuts it would be horrible."

Under the adopted budget, Smithtown would implement its Tier 1 budget reduction cuts, which include $782,000 in attrition and retirement of district staff, $540,000 through 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.

While the 2013-2014 budget represents a more than $10 million increase over the prior year’s budget, the district received $1.6 million more in state aid. The district will also use $4.6 million in reserves, $1 million more than administrators did last budget season.

With Tier 1 cuts in place, the district will have trimmed a $2.8 million deficit.

Locals who attended Tuesday’s budget adoption meeting at the Joseph M. Barton Building were mixed on the budget, which despite saving many programs from the chopping block, raises taxes in an area where property taxes are already sky high.

"I do not feel cutting literacy program at elementary level will be beneficial in any way shape or form," said one woman.

District resident Robert Foster said he's calculated the average teacher costs the district $137,000 based on his own calculations using numbers from the district's 2012 budget – that's approximately $750 a day.

"We need to make our teachers more productive. If we are going to keep and add programs, we need to produce successful students at a price this community can afford," Foster said.

He suggested having the middle school and high school teachers instruct classes for six periods a day, instead of five periods a day under the current practice.

The Smithtown Board of Education will hold its next meeting at 8 p.m. on April 23, where residents will have the chance to voice any issues or concerns with the adopted budget and last-minute changes can still be made. The public budget hearing is set for May 14.

Smithtown residents will vote on the budget on May 21.

FULL COVERAGE:

• Music Safe from Cuts in Smithtown School's 2013-14 Proposed Budget
• Restored High Tax Aid Drops Smithtown School Budget Deficit to $2.7M
• $1.4M in Aid Restored for Smithtown Schools in Final State Budget
• Which Smithtown Schools Budget Cut Tier Would You Vote For?
• Smithtown Schools Reveal 'Tier One' of Deficit Reduction Plan
• Superintendent: Smithtown Schools Didn't Expect State Aid Cut
• Smithtown Schools Facing $4.5M Deficit for 2013-14 Budget