W. Hempstead school, library budget vote is Tuesday

West Hempstead school district residents will vote on Tuesday on a proposed $60 million school budget and a $4.1 million budget for West Hempstead Public Library, which calls for a $132,000 increase in funds raised through real estate taxes. The budget vote is divided into two propositions.

Proposition 1 is for the school budget, which calls for a 1.35 percent spending increase and a 1.7 percent tax levy increase, which is below the district’s tax cap. Changes in the proposed budget include a nearly 15 percent reduction in tuition fees from Island Park students who attend West Hempstead schools, representing a $200,000 decrease. Student transportation would also decrease by $157,000, and budgeting for special education and related services would drop by nearly 5 percent to $567,000 less than last year. The cost of employee benefits such as retirement, Social Security and compensated allowances would also decrease by $138,000 — more than 2.5 percent less than last year’s budget.

The proposed budget maintains the district’s academic programs, athletics and co-curricular activities. In addition, it provides $810,000 in funding for high school auditorium upgrades, including a renovated sound and light control room as well as renovations to the stage floor and front apron.

Proposition 2 projects an annual budget of nearly $4.1 million for the West Hempstead Public Library, almost $500,000 more than the current year’s $3.7 million budget. Many of the budget increases come from employee benefits, which were $637,000 last year and are projected to be $723,000. The benefits include state-mandated retirement, Social Security, work compensation, and unemployment, disability and health insurance. The budget asks that residents subsidize $132,000 of the increase. Library Director Regina Mascia said that would cost roughly $25 more per year per household.

If the budget were defeated, the district would either put the same or a revised budget up for a revote or adopt a contingency budget. If a proposed budget were defeated twice, a contingency budget would have to be adopted, and would trigger a state law mandate where the tax levy increase over the current year be capped at zero percent. The board would need to reduce expenditures by about $1.1 million in that case.

Voting for the budget and school board trustees will take place on Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the West Hempstead Middle School gymnasium. For further information, see the district website at whufsd.com.