Riverhead BOE Votes To Adopt $111.7 Million Budget

The Riverhead Board of Education voted unanimously on Tuesday night to adopt a proposed $111.7 million budget for the 2012-2013 school year.

The public will vote on the budget on May 15.

Riverhead Central School District Superintendent Nancy Carney said after weeks of meetings and deliberation, the budget was one that put needs of students first.

"Its a fiscally sound budget," Carney said. "We worked very hard to preserve what's important to our students."

Carney also said the BOE was grateful for an increase in state aid agreed to by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo in March that allowed for an increase of approximately $268,000 that could be used to restore a number of the 21 teaching positions that were cut under the proposed budget in a "painstaking process," according to Carney.

"The focus of our discussions all along was looking at class size at the elementary level," Carney said, adding that determinations will be made regarding what instructional positions will be restored moving forward.

Before the vote, Carney gave a presentation outlining highlights of the proposed budget. Goals during the budget process were to stay within the 2 percent tax cap levy while preserving programs.

Overall, Carney said, state aid is up 5.9 percent. The total tax levy is 1.73 percent, with a budget to budget increase of 1.99 percent, including the spike in state aid.