School Board Reduces Proposed Budget Transfer Ceiling for Superintendent

After previously voting twice to raise the amount the Superintendent can transfer between budget line items without board approval from $2,000 to $1 million, the Board of Education voted on Tuesday to lower the $1 million threshold down to $25,000. The measure must have three affirmative votes in order for it to become school policy.

The change in direction came after Board Member Kathleen Berezny raised concerns about the $1 million number being too high, and abstained during last month's 5-0 vote (Timothy Griffing was not present).

"How do you go from $2,000 to $1 million?" she asked.

At Tuesday's board meeting, the change from $1 million had originally been proposed to be dropped down to $100,000. However Berezny still thought the number was too high, and the board amended the policy again to be lowered to $25,000. The board voted 6-1 in favor of the amended first reading, with Board President Ann Cotten-DeGrasse voting in dissent.

"Everybody votes their conscience," she said in an interview this week. "We don't have a policy where the board has to be united on everything. I felt like I had talked to the superintendent, the assistant superintendent of finance, and understood their logic."

The proposal is intended to give administrators greater financial mobility and efficiency, as DeGrasse cited inconsistencies in state and federal aid as one reason why large sums may need to be transferred in a short amount of time. Michael Ivanoff, assistant superintendent of finance, said that it sometimes adds tension between contractors if the district's hands are tied until the next board meeting. Also, he cited that the board must approve the transfers, even if it's after they are officially completed.

To help with lag time between board approval for budget line item transfers the Board of Education also changed its policy on Tuesday to meet to conduct business from once a month to twice a month, effectively allowing the board to be able to vote on budget transfers twice as often. Previously one of the board's two monthly meetings was for discussion only.

The original, $1 million policy proposal also contained language that would have allowed the Assistant Superintendent of Finance to transfer funds up to $100,000 between line items. However a review with the school district's attorney found the language not in compliance with state law, said Cotten-DeGrasse.

The Board of Education meets next on Nov. 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

The following school districts had budget transfer policies available online. Figures refer to the amount Superintendents are allowed to transfer within budgets without Board of Education approval:

• Middle Country (Selden/Centereach): $25,000
• West Islip: $10,000
• Mattituck-Cutchogue: $5,000
• Rocky Point: $1,000,000
• Westhampton Beach: $5,000 (surplus funds only)
• Copaigue: $10,000
• Southampton: $9,999
• Eastport-South Manor: $5,000
• Miller Place: "Amount established at annual organizational meeting."