School Supe: Zero Budget Would be 'Devastating'

While the news delivered Wednesday night - that the r - was not optimistic by any means, it could be worse, said Superintendent Nancy Carney.

Cutting staff is saving roughly $2 million out of a budget exceeding $110 million, Carney said - not even two-thirds of the $3.2 million that has to be cut to balance next year's school budget in light of a last summer.

But if the Board of Education presented a budget that pierced the tax levy cap, and failed to get 60 percent of the vote required to pass it - and then failed on a re-vote of a revised budget - running on a zero percent, year-over-year, budget would mean cutting at least another $2.5 million, she said.

"If the budget doesn't pass, we will have to cut an additional $2.5 to $3 million," she said. "Running on a zero budget is something we don't even want to have to think about because it would be so devastating."

As the cuts stand now, Carney has fielded several questions and concerns about the effects of cutbacks.

Mike Carver of Calverton wondered on Wednesday night if cutting a "double period" at the middle school - as the middle school day goes from nine to eight periods - was a wise choice.

Barbara Barosa, president of the Riverhead Central Faculty Association, questioned whether the district would be able to keep up with academic intervention services for students, a state mandate for kids struggling on their math and English language arts test scores - which the double period benefits for eighth graders.

"How will these students be served?" she asked.

Carney said that rather than holding all students in the longer periods, students who need the extra help will get the help they need with targeted lessons. Though she couldn't put an exact date on it, Carney guessed that the double period had been implemented about four years ago at the middle school. And amidst the current climate, other school districts are cutting back on similar programs as well.

"We are making decisions that none of us necessarily agree with, but we are forced to make them as having to be within specific guidelines," Carney said at the beginning of her presentation.

The biggest rule Carney is adhering to is staying within the guidelines of the tax levy cap. While the Board of Education could technically propose fewer layoffs and more classes, any budgets presented piercing the tax levy cap would require 60 percent of the public vote, as opposed to the majority needed to pass one within the letter of the law. Neither Carney nor the board feel comfortable testing the good will of voters after a  passed last fall.

"We did not want to appear greedy in asking to break the tax levy cap," said School Board President Ann Cotten-DeGrasse.