Curtailing Districtwide Spending

Dear Sayville Community:

 

As Super Tuesday draws closer, your Sayville Administrators and Board of Education volunteers would like to assure residents that this year's 2010-2011 Proposed Budget has significantly curtailed its districtwide spending. 

 

-             KEEPING SPENDING LOW

When we started the process in February, we recognized the cost of 6.48% to support our standards of excellence was too high in these fiscally troubled times. Working closely with Sayville Administrators, Unaffiliated Staff, and Sayville Teachers, (who took permanent half-year pay freezes for the 2010-11 academic year, with the Sayville Administrators and Teachers taking a second, permanent half-year pay freeze in the 2011-12 academic year), we made more reductions and brought spending down to achieve a fiscally responsible 1.8% increase.

 

-             WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR STUDENTS?

While the loss of staff positions through retirement and attrition will affect some programs and slightly increase class sizes at the secondary level, we have been able to preserve many of our valuable educational opportunities and can still provide our students with the necessary competitive edge.

 

-             LACKING STATE REVENUE

When state and federal governments fail to fund public education, the burden falls on the local taxpayer. Because $2.2 million was cut from Sayville's New York State Aid, Sayville's projected tax-rate increase is at 5.9% to make up the difference, even though we have kept our spending low.

 

-             STAR EXEMPTIONS

Residents who have filed for STAR Basic or STAR Enhanced Exemptions will have lower tax-rate increases (see chart).

 

-             STAYING OFF THE CONTINGENCY  OF 7.48%

The formula mandated by state law that affects the setting of the Contingency Budget is not a better alternative. While the Spending Caps are set at 0.00% and $1,746,193 further cuts would be required, Sayville School District would not be able to use its fund balance to offset costs throughout the year. As a result, the projected tax-rate increase is 7.48%, which is HIGHER than the Proposed Budget.

Contingency would not only dismantle our valuable programs, athletics, and extracurricula activities, it would force the School District to cut kindergarten—which is NOT MANDATED by New York State—to half day. The School District's excellent credit rating would suffer which would adversely affect interest rates on futures borrowing.  It is a no-win situation,

 

We hope our fellow Sayville residents understand the challenge we all face--to find a balance that will keep our high educational standards affordable.  Please join us at the vote on May 18^th, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m in the Sayville High School Lobby.