Merrick to vote on schools budget

Proposed budget: $46,911,578

Change: +$1,110,015 (+2.42 percent)

Tax levy: $38,630,878

Budget highlights: The budget for next school year would sustain level funding for most of the district’s functions and programs, according to Superintendent Dr. Dominick Palma.

“The money will effectively meet all of our instructional and operational needs, maintain our class sizes, instructional supports, and it actually includes increases in teaching staff,” Palma said. “In addition, the budget allows us to continue all the maintenance in the buildings, and modernize the computer technology the kids use.”

Merrick schools would add one English as a new language teacher, who would rotate between Birch, Chatterton and Levy-Lakeside, and two special education teachers, who would work at Birch and Levy-Lakeside. The budget also includes funds for new Windows laptops for instructional purposes. The district is phasing out older Apple computers and aims to have one laptop per student in third to sixth grade.

Additionally, the budget supports new computer controls for the schools’ heating systems and replacement windows at all three schools.

Revenue: The state awarded $5,702,745 in aid for Merrick in 2015-16, a decrease of $62,800, or 1.09 percent, from 2014-15.

But Palma said that additional state funding the district expects to receive in reimbursement for computers and special education services it obtained through BOCES should result in a net increase in state aid.

“We’ve been very successful at keeping our costs own,” Palma said. “Our negotiating areas understood we’re under a tax cap” and other budgetary constraints.

The superintendent was enthusiastic that the state restored $303,172 of the district’s gap elimination adjustment, or GEA, an annual school aide cut the state uses to balance its budget. But $540,228 remains cut.

Voting information: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, at Levy-Lakeside Elementary School.