UPDATED: Breaking Down the Budget: Miller Place

Editors Note: With regard to the list of 21 classes cut, as per normal scheduling procedures, when enrollment for a class is below a 15, it does not run. Please note the update to the list of courses.

On Tuesday residents will hit the polls to vote on their district's budget and Board of Election members.

In Miller Place, resident's will for the 2011-'12 fiscal year, which represents an increase of 3.83 percent from this year's budget. Tax levy revenues required increases to $39.9 million, up 3.89 percent. The board has also predicted a decrease of one percent on Total Assessed Valuation, but the number will not be known until August of this year, according to Deputy Superintendent Dr. Marianne Higuera. The projected tax rate sits at 230.34, a 4.94 percent increase.

The Undistributed category of the budget has the largest increase at $2.6 million, or 18 percent. This category includes bonds and benefits. In the area of benefits the largest increases have to do with increses in health insurance and pension contributions, Higuera said.

The final decrease in state aid is projected at $659,409, down from the last projected number of $1,163,635, but still a decrease of 3.66 percent.

A letter was sent home to high school students detailing 21 courses in danger at the high school level, if enrollment is below 15, a class will not run:

• BU211 College Computer Applications 
• BU214 College Desktop Publishing
  
• BU216 College Business Law 
• BU310 Visual Basic I
• BU311 Visual Basic II 
• ENG812S Women Authors
• ENG515S Journalism (will run)
• LOTE255 French V (will run)
• LOTE355 AP French (will run)
• LOTE235 Italian V 
• LOTE236 College Italian 
• MU210 Vocal Jazz Ensemble I 
• MU202 Instrumental Jazz Band I
• MU313 AP Music Theory
• SC514 Science Research
• SC311 AP Physics
• SS315 AP Psychology 
• UA111 Illustration and Design 
• UA910 Computer Generated Art 
• UA912 Web Page Design 
• UA210 Drawing and Painting II 

Clubs lost at the high school include:

• Audio/Visual Club
• Mathletes
• School Store
• Varsity Club
• Literary Magazine
• Newspaper
• Media Club
• Mock Trial. 

lost Competition Band, Jazz Chorus and Ensemble, String Ensemble, the Washington trip, Mathletes and Lego League.

A vote down of the budget would result in a contingent budget of $64,206,492, which would represent a 3.75 percent incrase from this year's budget, down .08 percent from the adopted budget's increase.

"During the budget workshops we had been saying that contingent budget would be 3.8 (percent increase), basically right now there would be about a $45,000 additional decrease that would need to happen if we were on contingency," Higuera said.

Of the $45,000 decrease, approximately $40,000 would have to come from the program component of the budget and $5,000 would have to come from the administrative component. Contingency would also mean the purchase of instructional and maintencance equipment would be completely eliminated and, by law, fees would be imposed for use of facilities by all outside groups, including PTO groups.

Proposition No.2 on the ballot involves the $1,829,290 million library contract, which represents an increase of just .61 percent from this year's contract.

The ballot will also include six candidates for the three vacant seats on the district's Board of Education; , , , , and incumbent .

The candidate receiving the third largest number of votes will complete the term vacated by James Moran and take the seat immediately on Wednesday, May 18 until the term expires on Thursday, June 30. They would then complete their term as trustee on the board.

More information can be found on the district's website.