West Hempstead discusses proposed school budget for 2019-20

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Superintendent Daniel Rehman proposed a 2019-20 budget that contained a slight increase over the current spending plan at the West Hempstead Union Free School District Board of Education meeting on March 5. The district proposed a budget of about $63.6 million, an increase of 4.01 percent, which the district hopes will support new initiatives such as offering new rigorous courses, high school electives and Syracuse University Project Advance, among other programs.

In addition, the projected tax levy, or the total amount that the district can collect to meet expenses, for the 2019-20 school year will be roughly $46.8 million, for an increase of 2.64 percent year-over-year. The district has borrowed $16 million to fund bond projects to this point, through the use of bond anticipation notes.

Other initiatives the district also hopes to accomplish is to develop its K-6 math program, Spanish for Native Speakers, and courses on design and drawing for production, along with computer graphics and web design. Notable additions include a copier lease, to replace aging fleet past useful life, and a building condition survey, which is required by law every five years.

The district will present its final spending proposal at a hearing on May 7, at 7:30 p.m., in the high school’s videoconference room.