Manhasset Superintendent of Schools Charles Cardillo continued to emphasize the district’s staffing needs in presenting a proposed $92 million budget for the 2016-17 school year on Tuesday night
“We will be making five new specific hiring that will go towards special education,” Cardillo said.
He said the school district will be adding one more special education teacher certified in earth science at the secondary level
“That person will co-teach a class with a earth science certified teacher,” Cardillo said.
The provision is being made for the class, which Cardillo said will include inclusion students and others regular education students.
Cardillo also said the district is hiring an additional counselor to better serve students seeking to go to college
“We have five counselors in the high school right now we’re projecting next year that their case loads will be around 230,” Cardillo said.
The addition will reduce the counselor’s case loads to the mid 190s, Cardillo said.
“It takes an extraordinary amount of time for our counselors to work with parents on items that of high value,” Cardillo said.
He said the district will also hire part time teachers in mathematics, language, arts, science based on enrollment needs.
“The class sizes we’re looking at K-12, we feel are really appropriate class sizes for higher level learning to take place,” Cardillo said.
Cardillo said the school district has maintained the extracurricular activities available to students at Munsey Park, Shelter Rock Elementary and the Secondary School.
“Opportunities for kids particularly at the secondary level is very important so we want to try and provide as much as we can,” Cardillo said.
Cardillo said the district is also looking into providing a crew program either in the fall or the spring for students and has made a commitment to instructional technology.
Cardillo said there is more focus on spending on facilities and instructional technology in the budget.
“If you take time to go through the budget, even if its five pages a night, you really get a greater appreciation for what the district have had in place and will have in place for the coming year,” Cardillo said.
Cardillo said by April 1 all the districts in New York State will be funded from the Gap Elimination Adjustment money.
“It’s money that the districts have been owed and now we’ve had strong commitments from the Legislature that we should be getting $426,000,” Cardillo said.
Having the money will allow the district to move forward with the things it’s doing, Cardillo said.
The school board will host another informal budget hearing on April 7 at Munsey Park Elementary School.
The budget will be adopted on April 19 and residents will get a chance to vote on the budget on May 19 at the high school gym.
On the same day of the budget vote, seats held by trustees Regina Rule and Craig Anderson, will also be up for election.
