Herricks’ Board of Education presented a look at the district’s expenditures during its second budget meeting Thursday night.
The proposed budget totals $144,543,210, a 2% increase from last year. Assistant Superintendent for Business Lisa Rutkoske said the main drivers of this year’s budget include teaching, learning, and student wellness, instruction, general support, and employee benefits.
Significant curriculum and learning-centered budget items include the addition of a high school business teacher to teach a financial literacy course, a district behavior specialist, continued funding to enhance social emotional learning, new US History textbooks, technology upgrades, replacement of musical instruments, and three new buses, Rutkoske said.
She also discussed the facility improvements and capital projects contributing to the budget. Notable upgrades included the proposed installation of security guards and security vestibules at the middle school, high school, community center, increasing cyber security, district-wide asphalt and concrete work, playground upgrades at Denton Avenue School, replacement of high school windows, upgrading bathrooms and water fountains, and refurbishing select classrooms.
Rutkoske broke the budget into three categories —program, administrative, and capital —and estimated they would account for 72.1%, 11.5%, and 16.4% respectively.
Superintendent Tony Sinanis said the district was not yet prepared to announce its tax levy increase, or the percentage it would ask taxes to be raised to fund the budget, but estimated it would be between 2% and 2.5%. On Thursday night, the district said its tax cap was 2.5% for this year.
Rutkoske said the district expected to receive $27.9 in state aid to fund approximately 20% of the district’s budget, an increase of roughly $600,000 from last year.
On the May 20 budget election ballot, Rutkoske said voters will see a second proposition, which asks them to vote on whether the district can spend its roughly $2.1 million capital reserve on replacing three boilers.
“The money is already there. It’s already sitting in that reserve,” Sinanis emphasized. “We’re not asking for any additional funds.”
District residents must be registered to vote with the Nassau County Board of Elections to participate in the budget election, which will be held between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on May 20 in the Herricks Community Center. Prior to the vote, there will be a budget hearing on May 8 and three board meetings on March 27, April 10, and April 23.
The district also used Thursday’s meeting to honor six students who received Outstanding Student Achievement Awards for their success in sports, like fencing and swimming.
“I just want to congratulate all the winter teams on success,” Sinanis said. “It’s really been an incredible year for athletics at Herricks.”
