Information for Budget Vote

[Wantagh Parent]

Based on the response here, the upcoming vote is the #1 topic for discussion. The district mailing with the budget information came out this week. Do you have enough information to vote? How much information do you require to vote?

Please comment here on additional information you would like to see the district to regularly publish, if any.

I would like to see more information so I'll start the comments with:

• Average teacher salaries relative to other Nassau County districts.
  
• Comprehensive list of what is included and excluded.
  
• Comparison of teacher counts by building from year to year.
  
• Explanation of audit procedures in place with list of district auditors.
  

[erinshea]

The best way to be informed is to join the Budget Advisory Committee. The information comes straight from the sources involved. This was my first year on the BAC and I learned a tremendous amount about the financial workings of Wantagh.

[omega3]

Fact or Fiction
Please take this short true or false quiz to test your knowledge prior to Tuesday’s budget vote.

1.We have received increased state aid each year. This year was one of the largest increases in history. Despite our lawmakers requesting that school districts give the additional aid back to the over burdened tax payer we spend it. TRUE

2. District enrollment has declined each of the past 4 years yet we still continue to spend more with a declining enrollment. TRUE

3. We currently have 3 outstanding bonds with a total principal balance of approximately $33,000,000. We will be paying for these thru 2023. Is debt what we want to pass on to our kids? TRUE

4. According to State Education Department Information (www.nysed.gov) the Wantagh School District for 2006-2007 (most recent data) exceeded average class size in every category / assignment code for both Nassau County and the Region. Our class sizes on average are the largest in the county. TRUE

5. The 2001-2002 budget was $42,036,455 with 3400 students. The projected 2008-2009 budget is $64,735,634 with 3738 students. While the budget has increased 54% enrollment has increased 10%. Does the math make sense? TRUE

6. Last Years (2007-2008) budget brochure listed the tax increase as 4%. The Wantagh School District Budget Notice (as required by State Law) or index card you receive in the mail lists this same tax increase as 5.94%. That’s a 30%+ difference. Which is correct? The latter was the final tax increase last year 5.94%. The budget brochure was off by almost 30%. Please look at lasts year’s budget documents. If for this budget we take the same 30% difference and multiply it by this year’s 8.27% stated tax increase we can easily be looking at a 10-11% tax increase for 2008-2009. While this may in part have something to do with what Nassau County refers to as Base Proportion, none the less a double digit tax increase is something many of us just can’t afford. TRUE

7. With this years budget the Board of Education decided to BAN (Bond Anticipation Note) the 2007-2008 voter approved $14,400,000.Bond. This decision was to keep the expense and tax increases artificially low. This decision is the equivalent to an adjustable rate interest only mortgage. With today’s current financial meltdown we have come to realize that this is a very risky way to manage finances. This decision cuts $800,000 or 2% from what would have been an even larger budget to budget increase. The risk is that interest rates are presently at historical lows and have only one direction to move and that’s higher. When we go to lock in (fixed rate) next year with higher interest rates this decision can cost the tax payer significantly more for the remaining 14 years of this bond. TRUE

8. There are no one time or extraordinary expenses in this years budget. Without change an 8-10% tax increase will be the norm. How many years with a 10% tax increases can we afford. TRUE

9. Debt service from last years bonds is a major contributor to this years large tax increase. FALSE
$2,064,172 is attributed to bond debt service. Only $400,000 +/- of this is attributed to the bond passed last year. The remaining $1,600,000+/- is from 2 previous bonds. Please reference the above statement 4.
10. The largest increases and dollar expenditures each year are salary and benefits. Times have changed. It can no longer continue with business as usual. We need to rethink what has become standard operating practice. The budget brochure indicates the teacher contracts were negotiated at a 3.5% increase per year. This does not include step and lateral pay increases. When included the more accurate increase on average is 5-6.5% each year. TRUE
11. The Wantagh Citizen has decided they will no longer be accepting our comments about the budget in the weeks leading up to the actual vote. What happened to free speech? TRUE
12. If the budget fails the Board of Education must cut all interschool athletics, field trips and extracurricular activities. FALSE
The Board of Education (Education Law 2023) has the discretion as to which ordinary contingent expenses they may or may not cut to arrive at the contingent budget amount. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York ruled (Case # CA 04-02074) has ruled against the Cato Meridian Central School District as follows:
They have abused their discretion in an arbitrary, capricious and illegal manner, in violation of the plain meaning of section 2023 of the education law by totally eliminating any appropriation of monies for interschool athletics and other extracurricular activities.


The intent of this quiz is to enlighten with facts, not propaganda and sound bites, force us to think, force us to ask the hard questions and to conclude if in fact things make sense. No one can argue the kids aren’t worth it. We all want the best for our kids. But ask yourself if that’s what your kids are getting .In a perfect world it should only be about the kids. In the real world people are leaving Wantagh because the taxes are too high. In the real world young couples can’t afford to live in Wantagh. Without change in a few years this all won’t matter.

[hightax]

To All

This is a piece of information that the Wantagh BOE and Administration does not want you to see (at least not made easily available). Thanks to our legislators it is available. The BOE states that they can not cut any more out of this budget. The BOE also state that they don't have enough money to keep the 7 and 8 grade sports separated. Some how BOE just can not find $81,000 anywhere in the budget and they just had to cut the BOCES program for the Arts because this budget is sooooo tight. Hey but never fear the community can fund raise for the money. OH Sorry just for sports. NOW TAKE A LOOK TO SEE IF YOU CAN FIND SOME MONEY.

WANTAGH UFSD

Position Salary Benifits
Superintendent of Schools 257,161 59,184
Assistant Superintendent For Instruction 170,000 45,106
Assistant Superintendent For Businessa 157,000 40,699
Principal High School 142,000
Principal Middle School 147,834
Principal Elem 152,687
Principal Elem 152,622
Principal Elem 140,826
Asst Principal High School 137,544
Asst Principal High School 115,000
Asst Principal Middle School 113,850
Director Of Guidance 125,638
Director Of Science 123,636
Supervisor Foreign Lang/Business Ed 131,350
Supervisor Of English 113,148
Director Of Athletics/Drivers Ed 132,368
Supervisor Of Social Studies 118,058
Director Of Pps 124,078

[idea2004]

hightax looks like we give out some high salaries to the administration but I'm sure there is even more money spent that the community does not know about . I am a good friend of a family who is in federal court with the district over READING I asked planman about a week ago if he knew how much the district spends not to give services to some students. FEDERAL COURT MUST COST THE TAX PAYERS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS where does that money fall in the budget I didn't see a line titled LAW SUITS the districts hides it somewhere maybe you can find where and that money can go directly to the students!