51.0°,
Fog/Mist Bel-Mer Central teachers, administrators OK salary freeze
Board of Education rejects petition on artificial-turf fields
Teachers and administrators in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District have agreed to voluntarily freeze their salaries for the 2011-12 academic year in order to avoid further budget cuts and preserve student programs. In all, the wage freeze will save the district $840,000, according to Central officials.
“We thank each and every teacher and administrator in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District for their selflessness in these tough economic times, “ said Board of Education President Nina Lanci at Wednesday’s board meeting.
In February, the district announced that 25 teachers and staff members would be let go at the end of this school year. According to officials, the number of teachers and staff members expected to be laid off will remain the same, but the district will be able to avoid eight additional teacher layoffs because of the freeze.
Dr. Henry Kiernan, the Central District superintendent, said in an interview, “We’re able to save some jobs that would have been additional cuts. We’re very proud of our teachers and administrators in helping the community with the preparation for next year’s school budget.”
The salary freeze was negotiated in the days before Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting and “overwhelmingly” supported by the Bellmore-Merrick United Secondary Teachers and the Bellmore-Merrick Association of Building Administrators in separate votes.
An increase in class size is expected for the Bellmore-Merrick Central District in 2011-12, but the salary freeze, along with a modest decrease in student enrollment that is projected for next year, will help moderate that increase, according to school officials.
Turf petition rejected
In a separate matter, the Board of Education voted 7-0 with one abstention to reject a petition to use monies from the Central District’s accrued liability fund to construct synthetic-turf fields at Bellmore-Merrick’s three high schools –– Calhoun, Kennedy and Mepham. Between 600 and 700 signatures were collected on the petition.
