The Great Neck Public School District introduced a $192 million draft budget at Monday night’s school board meeting, projecting a 3.14 percent tax levy increase, dozens of job cuts and a dip into district reserves in order to compensate for increased costs.
The district must make difficult decisions to deal with dramatically increasing retirement benefit costs and possible district responsibility for tax refunds but is dedicated to insulating educational programs from the cuts, Assistant Superintendent for Business John Powell said.
And one of those decisions involves cuts to staff. Powell said the draft budget includes cuts of 41.16 full time equivalent positions within the district, including the equivalent of 17 teachers, 21 teachers’ aides, assistants and monitors and 3 clerical posts.
“We regret that this situation has come upon us,” Powell said. The budget will be subject to additional public hearings and possible revision before a board vote.
The district is facing $14 million in increased costs compared to 2012-2013, driven largely by a $4 million jump in retirement liabilities and $2.2 million in projected tax refunds, school administrators said. The state tax cap allows for a $5.8 million increase, leaving millions for the district to make up with spending cuts and reserve funds, Powell said.
“Unfortunately the only way to materially cut budgets is to reduce personnel,” Powell said.
Parents at the meeting expressed concern that teacher positions would be cut, and Powell said that while some teachers could be affected the cuts would be designed to minimize impact.
Great Neck Superintendent of Schools Thomas Dolan said the cuts would not affect class sizes.
“Class size is extremely important to this board and is sacrosanct when it comes to budget cuts,” Dolan said.
Powell said that 98 percent of the $14 million cost increase was due to salaries, fringe benefits and tax certiorari liabilities. The certioraries, which have for decades been paid for the county in accordance with state law, represent a new cost to the district
The tax certioraris were to be made the responsibility of the district when County Executive Edward Mangano signed a law ending the county’s guarantee of tax refunds. That law was struck down by a state appellate court, but the county is appealing the decision, and that uncertainty led the district to budget for the possible cost of the cases.
“It is therefore prudent that this money remain in the budget,” Powell said.
Board Vice President Lawrence Gross said the district cannot anticipate the result of the court appeal, which, if ruled in favor of the county, could again place refunds on the district’s books.
“We have no idea what happens next,” Gross said.
Gross emphasized that the district would try to contain its costs without cutting academics.
“The fact that we’re providing for tax certiorari has not affected our educational programs,” Gross said.
