Port Washington Assistant Superintendent Mary Callahan said Monday the elimination of the Gap Elimination Adjustment by the state Legislature in last week’s state budget vote will bring Port Washington an additional $437,000 this year.
Callahan said she couldn’t comment on what the added funds will go towards until the board’s next meeting, which was scheduled for Thursday at the Paul D. Schreiber High School auditorium.
She also said the board has yet to make a decision on how the funds will be used and how it will effect the board’s decision to pierce the state-mandated tax cap.
“No decision has been made as of right now,” Callahan said.
The Gap Elimination Adjustment was first introduced in 2010 to cover a huge budget deficit at public school’s expense. It’s purpose was to help the state fill its revenue shortfall.
Port Washington school officials announced back on Feb. 23 that they are considering a tax hike that exceeds a projected 0.85 tax cap to accommodate the district’s growing student enrollment.
Officials said they need to spend more than $1.5 million in new hires to accommodate an increase in student enrollment without increasing class sizes.
Board members said they are considering other options as well such as staying within the 0.85 tax cap.
Another option would be exceeding the tax cap but still keeping the increase under 2 percent.
School budget votes statewide are scheduled May 17. The proposed budget would have to be approved by 60 percent of those voting in order to pass if it exceeds the tax cap.
School officials said Port Washington’s 2016-2017 final budget will not be calculated until the district knows how much in state aid they’ll receive.
“As a board we’re still trying to decide what’s going to happen with the tax cap,” Port Washington school Trustee Christina Nadolne said. “We’re waiting on the state budget to see what the exact numbers are going to be.”
