PTOs, Parents Express Concerns With Proposed School Budget

With less money coming from the state and increased mandated costs in health insurance and pensions payments, the Riverhead Board of Education made enough cuts "with heavy hearts," according to one board member, to propose a budget that holds a tax levy increase at 4.92 percent over this year. 

But some of those cuts concern district parents - many of whom would be affected, even remotely, by one cut or another.

"Everybody is losing something," said Brian Knata, vice president of the Riley Avenue Parent's Association, referring to the equitable way the Board of Education said it consciously cut from next year's budget. "But I'm not hearing too much, good or bad, from parents so far."

Board President Ann Cotten-DeGrasse said more than once while presenting the budget to the public that the board believed the 2011-2012 budget should be a sacrifice from everyone in the school district. While 38 individuals (15 of whom are teachers) will feel that sacrifice particularly hard, as the district eliminates their positions next year, DeGrasse said in an that, "Cuts were made in every category, not just staffing."

The proposed budget increases spending by 1.27 percent over the current year. Without increases in health insurance and retirement payments, Carney said spending would be negative 0.06 percent in the coming year. However between those payments and a for the school district, the proposed budget would increase the tax levy by 4.92 over 2010-2011.

Related: School budgets over the past five years (and proposed budget) - , , and . 

In February and March, Superintendent Nancy Carney toured the school district with the Board of Education, stopping at each school (except Roanoke Avenue Elementary) to present the proposed budget to the community. At each meeting, principals of the respective schools also presented how the budget would affect their schools next year. On average, no more than a half dozen parents showed up to express support or disdain for the cuts.

with one individual issue - the loss of a security guard at the busy school. 

Lu Anne Nappe, president of the Riverhead Middle School PTO, said despite the equitable cuts, she had heard some parents express concern that seventh and eighth grade sports teams may be combined into middle school programs.

Board Member Greg Meyer, a volunteer football coach in the school district, expressed this as a concern of his own during one board meeting, though he said no solution has been made for the upcoming school year.

"That's all I'm hearing about," Nappe said. "From a parent's standpoint, if you combine the seventh and eighth grade football teams, you'll have over 100 players. Then the kids aren't going to get any playing time. And you don't want kids quitting and hanging out on the street, getting themselves into trouble."

Nappe added though, that as her daughter enters the high school in the 2011-2012 school year, she will have to leave those concerns to middle school parents.

Jessica Judd, a mother of two students at Phillips Avenue School in Riverside, said she would be willing to pay more in taxes if it meant keeping her 6-year old son's teacher. But that doesn't seem to be the case, she said, as the teacher will be excessed.

"As a parent I just want to get enough resources as possible and give teachers as much as possible," she said. "My thought is, 'get them as much as they need.'"

Georgia Kieffert, secretary with the High School Parent-Teacher-Student Organization, said she was personally worried about the use of reserves the school district is using. She added though, as a teacher at William Floyd High School, Riverhead's tax levy is relatively moderate - William Floyd's is set to jump over 12 percent, she said.

Under Riverhead's proposed budget in 2011-2012, the district will use $3.4 million of its $4 million fund balance to offset the tax levy, a practice Board Member Timothy Griffing called a "double edged sword."

"It leaves a pocket, a dead space," he said. "Because not only are we taking nearly $3.5 million this year. Next year we need almost $7 million to fill that gap because there is no revenue stream coming in ... but in this economic time, it's the most prudent thing to do. I hope we can come up with some creative solutions next year."