Wake up, Oceanside

To the Editor:

Oceanside residents are in for a shock when they get their next school tax bill unless they make their voices heard on May 9 at 7:30 p.m. at School 7, and at the ballot box on May 17.

If you think Dr. Herb Brown, the superintendent with a salary package of more than $340,000, a 4.6 percent increase over last year, really cares about the tax consequences, forget it. Louis Frontario, assistant superintendent, is getting a pay package of more than $222,630. He cares less about the small guy struggling to pay school tax.

If you think the rubber-stamp Board of Education cares about the taxpayer, forget it. These people only have the Oceanside School District on their minds, not the taxpayer.

A question was asked about what the district was doing for fundraising for the interscholastic athletics program, which has a budget of over $961,000. Kim Garrity said that she flips hot dogs and the head of the athletic department said that they sell T-shirts. How about if the athletes get sponsors or at least pay for their uniforms, which cost the taxpayer more than $38,000? They had better sell a lot of hot dogs and T-shirts to make a dent.

The district budgeted over $600,000 in consumables for instructions. The consumables are non-reusable items that have to be bought every year. The board gave the infamous answer of “state mandates.” I am sure there are other ways to teach the children of Oceanside other than to throw away materials every year. The cost of those throw-aways is surely going to go up every year.

Unlike Nassau County, which is freezing all salary increases, the school district is increasing salaries. Employee benefits are increasing 22.66 percent. The back-end taxable fringes and extras could reach an additional 15 percent of one’s salary. The overall budget is at a 1.98 percent increase, which means cuts in services to the students and an increase in salary packages. It boils down to a tax increase for all. Who can afford more taxes?

Oceanside should follow in the steps of the Half Hallow School District with a salary schedule freeze for all administrators and teachers for the 2011-12 school year. East Williston is deferring annual steps for six months. The salaries and fringe benefits of educators now exceed the private sector. This must be corrected.

Vote “no” on the school budget on May 17.

Mark Milberg

Oceanside