Education

Complete voters guide for North Fork school budgets, elections

INSIDE EACH BUDGET

With school budget votes coming up Tuesday, there are a few developments to keep in mind, especially for taxpayers in the Greenport School District.

The Greenport Board of Education is looking to pierce the tax cap with its 2018-19 budget.

With a spending plan that totals just over $19 million, the Board of Education is looking for a 4.62 percent increase in the tax levy. The district’s cap is set at 2.62 percent, leaving it with a $286,000 shortfall.

Superintendent David Gamberg said last month that in order to stay under the tax cap the district would need to cut staff and services.

The Board of Education felt any of the proposed cuts — reducing secondary teachers, reducing secondary level clubs, cutting the pre-K program and eliminating driver’s ed — would be detrimental to both staff and students.

Notable increases in the 2018-19 budget include a 14 percent hike for special education services, a 5 percent jump in maintenance to accommodate security upgrades and a rise in health care premium costs, officials said. This is the third time the district has asked residents to pierce the property tax cap since it was enacted in 2011. The most recent was in 2016, when voters approved an 8.52 percent increase in the levy, amounting to about a $1 million dollar increase.

In order for the budget to pass it needs a 60 percent supermajority vote.

Residents in districts that don’t comply with the tax cap will not receive a “property tax relief credit.” To qualify for that credit, taxpayers also must have a Basic or Enhanced STAR credit, an income under $275,000 and have paid school property taxes. The credit previously was a flat amount but now is based on how much each taxpayer receives back from STAR.

Taxpayers will also be asked to choose two people to fill open seats on the Board of Education. There are three candidates: incumbents Babette Cornine and Dan Creedon and newcomer Sonia Spar.

Residents of New Suffolk will vote Tuesday on a $1,292,581 budget for next school year. The budget carries a 1.6 percent tax levy increase, remaining under the district’s tax cap.

Considerable savings were realized from the resignation of teacher Martha Kennelly, which takes effect July 1.

Last month, the school board presented an initial budget of $962,581 for 2018-19, but later learned it would also have to include the $330,000 bond they are taking out for Ms. Kennelly’s back pay, president Tony Dill said. He added that the inclusion of the bond in the total budget doesn’t change the amount residents will pay in taxes.

Under the resignation agreement, the district will pay $43,831 annually over 10 years in bond amortization, as well as other costs, including interest, retirement, Social Security and reimbursement for medical insurance, Mr. Dill said last month.

The proposed budget also contains a line item for $37,375 in termination fees.

In addition, the district will lay off one teaching assistant, reducing the elementary staff to two full-time teachers, one teaching assistant and five part-time specialty teachers, Mr. Dill said.

Another large savings came in the area of special education, which decreased by nearly $95,000 from this year.

The board also announced last month that because no one had put in to run for a seat on the Board of Education, no names will appear on the ballot. Jeanette Cooper’s term, which she completed for her late husband, Jason, who died unexpectedly last June, expires this year.

Because there are no official candidates, voters will have to write in names and the person who receives the most write-in votes will fill the seat for a three-year term.

The Mattituck-Cutchogue School District is asking voters to approve a budget of $40.6 million, which is $88,000 less than the current year’s budget.

The 2018-19 proposal carries a tax levy increase of 0.15 percent, which is well below the district’s allowable cap of 0.97 percent.

The approved budget comes with a decrease in teaching positions, as the district will not fill some vacancies left open by retirements, including a part-time speech and language position, two elementary teaching positions and one full-time secondary English teacher.

In addition, the position of assistant principal at Cutchogue East Elementary School will become part time, and that person will also serve as districtwide instructional support administrator.

The budget calls for increases in technology, security and student offerings.

Voters will also weigh in on a proposed $6 million capital reserve fund that would be used to pay for repairs, renovations and improvements throughout the district over 10 years.

Two candidates — incumbent Doug Cooper and newcomer Jeffrey Connelly — are running for two open seats on the district’s Board of Education.

The Southold Board of Education is proposing a $29,981,000 budget for the 2018-19 school year.

The spending plan represents an increase of 1.84 percent, or $541,000, over the current year’s budget and remains under the district’s tax levy cap, officials said.

Owners of property assessed at $3,000, will see an increase of $3 monthly, or $42 annually, in their taxes. For property assessed at $9,800 the projected increase is  $11 monthly, or $136 annually.

Some of the biggest increases include textbook purchases and tuition payments for students to attend-out of-district programs. Salaries are expected to increase by nearly $275,000.

Decreases come in the areas of equipment funding and BOCES costs.

In the Board of Education election, three candidates are vying for two open seats. They are newcomer Amy Bennett and incumbents John Crean and Paulette Ofrias.

The Oysterponds district is proposing a 1.584 percent increase for 2018-19, for a total budget of $5.8 million.

The budget complies with the tax levy cap and includes a new part-time teacher for music and another to introduce foreign language at the school.

The district is also getting a new online model for its curriculum and will see a 25 percent increase in special education costs, an increase in non-resident tuition paid to Greenport, an increase in the teacher’s retirement system contribution rate, more employees enrolling in the school insurance plan and additions for transportation, among others.

Oysterponds is also looking to continue renovation work by conducting an HVAC and boiler study during the next school year, with an eye toward ultimately replacing that system, refurbishing bathrooms, installing more pre-K playground equipment and purchasing 20 additional iPads.

Two incumbents — Philip Mastrangelo and Linda Sledjeski Goldsmith — are running for re-election to the Board of Education.