West Hempstead School District touts 2012-13 budget

At its first budget workshop on March 6, the West Hempstead Union Free School District presented a $55.1 million 2012-13 draft spending plan to the community — an increase of more than $710,000, or 1.3 percent, over the current budget.

The preliminary plan, according to Superintendent John Hogan, will maintain all academic programs, clubs and sports, and class sizes are expected to remain the same. At the moment, he explained, there is no plan to lay off any faculty based on budgetary needs.

The budget, Hogan said, is still a work in progress until it is adopted by the Board of Education on April 17.

Hogan discussed with residents the 2 percent tax cap that New York state enacted this year, explaining that the cap is a limit on the tax levy increase, not the budget. He noted that it might not be precisely 2 percent, and explained that each district determines its cap based on a formula provided by the state.

In West Hempstead, Deputy Superintendent Richard Cunningham added, the tax levy cap is about 3.06 percent.

“We’re within the tax cap,” Hogan told the Herald. “We need a simple majority of voters to approve it.”

Hogan added that school officials worked to create a “prudent” budget as the district contends with increasing mandated costs such as health insurance premiums, pension contributions and other expenses (see chart).

“Mandated costs come to us each year …,” he said. “But we feel this is a good draft budget.”

Cunningham explained that the district expects to receive $7.8 million in state aid — an increase of nearly more than $74,000 from 2011-12. The district will use approximately $1.3 million in reserves and fund balance to cover employee retirement system liability, Cunningham said, and to balance the budget.

The March 6 workshop focused on non-instructional items. District officials noted that a significant portion of the budget — a total of $575,000 — will fund building repairs and upgrades, the most expensive being a $250,000 partial roof replacement at the high school.

Cunningham noted that transportation costs, which totaled $5.3 million this year, would be reduced to $4.4 million in 2012-13.