WANTAGH-SEAFORD: Support Wantagh, Seaford, Levittown school budgets

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As Tuesday’s budget vote approaches, there are no major program cuts planned for the Wantagh, Seaford or Levittown school districts.

Battling declining enrollment as well as the increasing difficulty of maintaining revenues while being limited by the state tax cap, Wantagh has had to make several operational changes for the upcoming school year. On the elementary level, the district is down two classes, eliminating two teacher positions. The change also reduces the amount of time that special teachers — art, music and the like — will be needed, so they will also see cutbacks. At the high school level, a minimum of 15 children need to be in a class. If enrollment doesn’t reach 15, the class is eliminated.

Seaford district officials managed to plug the district’s large budget gap thanks largely to saving $715,000 because of recently announced staff retirements, receiving an extra $260,000 in state aid and using $255,000 of reserve funds. The district also anticipates an extra $50,000 in revenue from its school lunch program next year, with prices raised by 25 cents. Piecing together the final budget with some creative maneuvering helped the district avoid drastic cuts that had been considered, such as reducing the Seaford Middle School day to eight periods and moving to half-day kindergarten.

The majority of the Levittown school budget — 83.8 percent — will fund salaries and employee benefits. Board Secretary Ed Powers voiced his concern with future budget projections, saying that the district is going to “dis-save every year for the next five years with no relief in sight.”

In Seaford, residents will get a second chance to let their voices be heard on the veteran’s tax exemption. Due to miscommunication, no district managed to implement the exemption in time for the 2014-15 school year. Seaford school officials have decided to add an advisory proposition to the ballot. If it is passed, the Board of Education will reconvene to consider adding the exemption for the 2015-16 school year.

It is crucial that community members register their support for their school budgets with their votes. Board of Education trustees have done everything they can to avoid cutting programs. Remember, good school ratings correlate with high property values. You do not have to have a child in a district to be invested in the success of its schools.