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SWR rejects hefty school levy hike
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Shoreham-Wading River residents rejected Tuesday the district's $56.1 million 2009-10 budget by 2,010 to 1,238 votes.
Superintendent of Schools Harriet Copel said Wednesday she believes the proposed tax increase of nearly 27 percent was the reason behind the budget's failure. Under the $56.1 million plan, which marks a 3.76 percent hike over the current $54.1 million budget, taxes on the average home assessed at $400,000 would have increased from $4,221 to $5,309 per year, a rise of 25.78 percent.
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| | | Shoreham-Wading River voters rejected by nearly 2 to 1 their school budget. Photo by D. Willinger. (click for larger version) | |
According to Copel, the nearly 25 percent hike is the accumulation of four years worth of tax increases because the district is now coming off a four-year tax rate freeze. If there had been incremental increases in each of those four years, the proposed tax hike for 2009-10 would have been between 5 and 6 percent, Copel said. Furthermore, state officials have reduced the district's appropriation of prior year state aid, which would have alleviated the tax increase, forcing administrators to use federal stimulus money to restore the eliminated state aid.
In addition to the budget, residents also turned down a proposition to authorize school officials to perform certain health and safety repairs at the Prodell Middle School and Briarcliff Elementary School as required by the State Education Department. The total amount of the repairs, $3.07 million, would have been funded by district reserve funds and New York State EXCEL monies at no cost to taxpayers.
Failure of this proposition is "disappointing" because "that is health and safety work that needs to be done," Copel said, adding that district officials will "review all our options and see whatever there is we can do about that."
While holding a second proposition vote is a possibility, Board President Mike Fucito said that would require an additional expense. "I don't have an easy answer at the moment," he said. "The students are still at risk. That hasn't changed." In terms of the budget, community members at previous board meetings have expressed their support for maintaining programs for students, Fucito said, "and that's what the board did." Board members will now discuss the options of holding a second vote or operating under a contingent budget, he said.
Also on Tuesday, Shoreham-Wading River residents reelected Fucito and trustee Leo Greeley in an uncontested school board race. The incumbents, who each received just over 1,570 votes, will fill the two open seats for three-year terms.
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