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Miller Place Evaluating Proposed State Aid Numbers

District evaluates numbers for another budget season.

The Miller Place School District is gearing for another budget season after an up-and-down process last year initially had many up in arms.

The original proposed budget last year included just over 22 teacher layoffs and cuts to many extra-curricular activities and the entire middle school athletic program. After a tense process, the final budget, which stuck at the tax levy cap, reduced faculty cuts to 16.7 and restored all clubs and athletic programs. This budget passed with just under 70 percent of the vote.

Now for the 2013-14 budget, Gov. Andrew Cuomo projects a very slight increase in state aid for the district of $229,913, or 1.29 percent.

"The district is in the process of reviewing and evaluating the different levels of Governor Cuomo’s school aid proposal," said Superintendent Marianne Higuera. "We will be gauging how different components of the proposal will impact budgeting for current programming, support of state mandates as well as new district educational programming currently under consideration. Additionally, we must evaluate the proposed school aid within the context of the tax cap."

The majority of the increase comes to Boces and Special Services, which would move from $877,895 last year to $975,940 this year. The district's first budget workshop is scheduled for Feb. 27 at Miller Place High School. It will include the Executive Summary touching on the tax cap and revenues. Three additional workshops will be held in March, including the budget adoption.

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Janet May 22, 2013 at 04:52 pm
Bravo MP Majority, very well said.Teachers are the most protected job on the planet. Now if theyRead More could only earn that money by producing results in the classrooms like they used to. But I also blame the absent NO vote. They need to be sent a message-we need a majority no vote but that will never happen. Glad I am out of here in 2 years. Can't imagine trying to live here and pay these taxes on social security and my 401K that tanked in 2008 while I was making up the teachers loss on their pension and paying my health insurance & theirs at the same time. So boo hoo teachers you have to spend money on the kids while I spend money on you.
MP Majority May 17, 2013 at 01:41 pm
Spoken like a true teacher. Did you know that the average school teacher is only paying 15% of theRead More actual cost of health care premiums for themselves and their families, when Medical healthcare insurance premiums are rising at an alarming 17% per annum? Do you realize that teachers are paid an additional stipend if they work more than 3 consecutive periods in a day? Are you aware that teacher pensions were protected during the stock market crash of 2008, when the average person's 401K was totally at risk? Perhaps if teachers realized how good they have it - look at the BIG picture and outside of their bubble - then they would complain less. Oh and yes, we need our loftily-paid Administrators to kick in some of the salaries, to help pay for stuff. Hard to believe the school districts' mantras that "it's all for the kids".