Long Beach Board of Ed adopts budget

The Board of Education voted unanimously on Tuesday to adopt the district’s $122.1 million 2012-13 budget, which maintains all existing programs, though board members and parents raised concerns about a number of administrative and teaching staff reductions.

Residents will vote on the spending plan, which is 2.9 percent larger than the current budget, on May 15.

Last month, Michael DeVito, the district’s chief operating officer, said that the district anticipated $18.8 million in state aid this year. On Tuesday, however, school officials said that the district will receive an additional $183,000 in aid, which it will use to reduce the proposed increase in the tax levy from 3.9 percent to 3.74 percent. The budgeted tax levy — the total amount the district needs to raise through property taxes — is $92.3 million.

School officials said that with the city expected to increase property taxes amid its current financial woes, the district wanted to provide relief for homeowners. “Considering what our city is facing right now … I think every penny that we can give back to the taxpayer is crucial,” said school board Trustee Gina Guma. “We are looking at some real serious times now.”

The tax levy increase will help reduce the principal the district must pay on a $98 million bond to fund its school-preservation plan, a districtwide initiative to upgrade schools and facilities that was approved by voters in 2009. In fact, the only component of the budget that is increasing is the payment on the bond, school officials said.

Superintendent David Weiss said that although school districts face a state-mandated 2 percent cap on their tax levy increases, there is an exemption in the law for capital projects such as the preservation plan. After factoring into the budget a yearly $3.5 million payment to fund the plan, school officials determined that the allowable tax levy cap limit is actually 5.2 percent.

“We went at the budget with an attempt to maintain all programs … as well as maintaining our academic initiatives to improve the district and its academic standing,” Weiss said. “We don’t want to stand still just because there are difficult budget times. We want to continue moving forward.”