State reduces funding to East Meadow schools, hospital
East Meadow School District, NUMC: prepared for cuts in state budget
Unlike last year, the 2011-12 state budget, which totals $132.5 billion, was approved by the April 1 deadline. While that may have been a shock for New Yorkers everywhere, there were apparently not many surprises, if any, for officials of the East Meadow School District and the Nassau University Medical Center.
More than $19 billion in education aid was cut statewide, including $2.3 billion for Long Island school districts.
The East Meadow district, whose current budget is $178 million, faces a reduction of about $3.5 million in state aid, about 9 percent of this year’s total. Though the cuts passed by the State Legislature last week were not as large as initially proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, East Meadow district officials said they carefully predicted their allotment as they crafted a school budget proposal for 2011-12.
“We planned for that reduction,” said Schools Superintendent Louis DeAngelo. “The proposed budget we put forth to the board anticipates the aid that we will be getting.”
DeAngelo said that the district plans to use money in its unrestricted reserve fund to make up for the state aid cuts. With an estimated $17 million, East Meadow has the largest pot of unrestricted reserves among Nassau County school districts, but DeAngelo warned that if the pattern of state aid reductions continues, the fund, built up over several decades, could disappear in a few years. “It would be extremely problematic,” he said. “The purpose of the reserve fund is to use it for expenses that aren’t going to be recurring. If you have recurring deficit funding from the state, how often can you go the reserve until it’s gone?
“We are fortunate to have them,” the superintendent added of the reserves. “Some districts are making massive cuts, and we’re able to stay where we are.”
The district, which will release its budget figures once the spending plan is adopted, has said that the 2011-12 proposal will preserve jobs and programs and maintain class sizes. The Board of Education was expected to adopt the budget at a work meeting on Thursday night.
