The Manhasset Board of Education adopted a $92,012,797 million budget for the 2016-17 year on Tuesday night that calls for a 1.8 percent increase of $1,623,171 over the current budget.
“We’ll continue to look at this (budget) and everything that we’ve projected and hopefully the class sizes stays the same,” Superintendent Charles Cardillo said.
The proposed budget represents an eight-year tax levy average increase of 1.79 percent and 1.71 percent spending increase while student enrollment increased 6.6 percent during that span, administrators said.
Cardillo said the 2016-17 budget places high emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the “4 A’s” of academics, arts, athletics and activities programs across the school district.
The budget will also provide for an additional guidance counselor at the high school as enrollment reaches peak levels, allowing for lower student to counselor ratios, he said.
Cardillo said the district had in previous budgets committed to hiring teachers to provide support that allows for appropriate class sizes and to address programmatic needs of students.
Clubs and athletics, Cardillo said, will maintain the current level of team offerings for the junior varsity and varsity, while offering more opportunities for middle school students by adding an interscholastic athletics program for the fall and spring seasons.
There would also be increase in technology and digital initiatives with Chromebook purchases, instructional technology and infrastructure equipment for each sixth grade classroom at Munsey Park and Shelter Rock.
The trustees also unanimously voted to approve the Board of Cooperative Educational Services of Nassau County’s proposed $20,789,248 Administrative Operations budget, which calls for a 1.9 percent increase over 2015-16 fiscal year.
Trustees Ronald Ellerbe, Fran Langsner and Robert Sho were also selected to run again to serve on the board of the BOCES of Nassau County.
“The incumbents and the group they have over there have been functioning very well,” board Vice President Carl Prinzo said.
The school district will hold a final budget hearing on May 5 at 8 p.m. at the Middle School Library before residents get a chance to vote on the budget at the High School Gym on May 17.
