The Carle Place school board broke down its budget by building at its Thursday night meeting, presenting numbers that included supplies, materials, and expenses related to the district’s instructional programs and staffing.
Each of the proposed building-level budgets falls under the district’s projected larger budget, which totals $58,689,234, a 2.63% increase from this year’s $57,186,018 budget. That number would be primarily funded by a 1.98% tax levy increase, or an increase of $180.90 in annual property taxes for the average family in the district.
Cherry Lane Elementary School has a proposed budget of $127,536, up 8.59% from this year; Rushmore Avenue School presented a budget proposal of $125,585, down 9.28% from this year; and the Carle Place Middle/High School has a proposed budget of $1,069,374, up 8.18% from this year.
Cherry Lane’s primary budget drivers include project-based learning, program equipment and program supplies, and library purchases, costs the district said were partially offset by a reduction in textbook costs. Notable line items in Rushmore’s budget include expanding accelerated math opportunities and enhancing writing instruction.
One of the district’s most significant budget drivers was the addition of a work-based coordinator in the combined middle and high school building. The coordinator will help students get experience in professional fields they are interested in by cultivating relationships with employers and industry leaders, helping them make more informed post-high school decisions.
District officials also broke down its special education budget, which has a proposed 5.69% increase from this year at $3,017,959.
Notable expenses in the budget include funding for specialized teaching methods to meet students’ needs, including the Edmark reading program and the STAR autism support program and assistive technology, such as devices, software, and equipment that help students participate in classroom activities and curriculum with their peers.
Rushmore will see the addition of a full-time special education teacher and one instructional coach, a staff member who collaborates with teachers to implement effective teaching strategies.
The board reviewed an additional proposition concerning the district’s capital reserve fund that voters will see on their May 20 ballot.
The proposition asks voters to weigh in on whether the district should take $3,738,700 from its reserve to fund five projects, including districtwide security updates, the high school girls’ gym roof, and upgrades to the middle/high school’s fire alarms.
The district officials also publicly reviewed the results of its months-long budget survey, in which community members voiced priorities on the budget. Notable results included 85.1% of respondents stating they believed the district should use the budget to better prepare students for life after graduation and 59.6% of respondents expressing concern over their ability to financially sustain school budget-driven tax increases.
Carle Place School District will hold a budget adoption meeting on April 3, a BOCES budget vote on April 23, and a budget hearing on May 8. Also, at their May 8 meeting, there will be a meet-the-candidates event for all who register to run for the board’s one seat up for election.
The budget and school board election will be held on May 20. District residents registered to vote can cast their ballots in the multipurpose room at Carle Place High School between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
