BOE Continues With Budget Presentations Tuesday Night

Preliminary 2013-2014 budget presentations are slated to continue Tuesday night at Riverhead's scheduled board of education meeting at 7 p.m.

Tuesday's presentation is expected to focus on the regular day school budget, transportation and facilities.

Next budget presentations include:

• March 12: Presentation on special education, PPS, guidance and other instructional items

• March 19: Presentation on revenues and projected tax levy

• April 9: Presentation on total tentative budget

• April 23: Deadline for Board of Education to adopt proposed budget

• May 21: Budget vote from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

At a board of education meeting held in February, Riverhead School Superintendent Nancy Carney gave the first preliminary budget presentation on general support, benefits and debt service.

Carney discussed the New York State mandated two percent tax levy cap, and the district's "rollover" budget. In order to comply with the state tax levy, the 2013-2014 budget would have to be reduced by approximately $2 million, Carney said.

To that end, Carney gave an overview of proposed changes, including the retirement of 20 teachers in the 2012-2013 school year. She also discussed other ways to reduce costs.

"The resulting savings will allow for the preservation of all programs now in place," she said. "The retirement incentive was offered because it represented a fiscally responsible means we could use in order to reduce our staffing costs while not reducing the number of teachers we employ. While we will miss the experience that our retiring employees brought to the classroom, we look forward to hiring new dynamic educators who are ready and eager to teach the students of the Riverhead Central School District."

Carney said it is still too early in the process to discuss the tax levy. "There are many unknown figures that still need to be identified," she said.