Seaford Adopts Austerity Budget

[Chris_Wendt]

Wednesday, June 29th, 7:30 PM in the Band Room at Seaford High the Seaford Board of Education will present and adopt their 2011-12 Contingent Budget, a/k/a "Austerity" budget.

Too bad, because 500 fewer people came out to vote in June than voted in May, and the margin of defeat in June was only 201 votes. This should have been a slam-dunk victory (to PASS). In the parlance of the basketball playoffs, "I guess they didn't want it bad enough."

Of course, I did not speak to all 500 of the people who did not vote the second time. But speaking with a few of them, the common thread was the perceived "bad mood" in the community, the belief the budget was "going down" (again and finally), and, they had already had their "say" on the matter at the first vote. I guess they did not want it badly enough.

I am interested to see whether the BoE will keep to their earlier statements about retaining Full-Day Kindergarten in the Contingent (Austerity) Budget. Early word I got is that they will keep Full-Day K in Seaford. We will know tonight/tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

Chris Wendt

[lilly]

I am very interested in what the contingency budget will be.

Despite the current mess in Seaford, Seaford has continued to support all kids (unlike Wantagh) in the music addition, band camp, LIHSA, etc. and the academic priority of full day K.

Wantagh takes advantage of the good arts teachers we have by not funding their programs and looks the other way/ignores uneven-ness in the programs.

Seaford seems to live it as a priority, putting their $ where their mouth is. The only place Wantagh spends significant $ is _____ .

[Chris_Wendt]

The Seaford Board of Ed cut $95K of previously planned and budgeted equipment purchases to reduce their spending to the specified contingent (austerity) budget cap.

Notably, they are RETAINING FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN.

Prior cuts, still in force in the Seaford contingent budget, include:

• ALL DEPARTMENT CHAIR POSITIONS (12) ELIMINATED
  
• 25 other positions ELIMINATED
  
• Winter & Spring Sports Seasons NOT FUNDED (for which they presume the community will raise funds--$141K-- to reinstate those teams).

The Seaford tax levy will increase by 8.12%, estimated to be an average increase of $543 per household.

It appears Seaford has been able to increase their unallocated fund balance from ~$300K to ~$600K, probably by constraining their actual spending in the last half of the past school year.

I suspect that Seaford will have an up-hill struggle to comport with the 2% Tax Cap next year, especially given the very angry mood of the voters, there. Actually, it could be Seaford's situation which successfully challenges the constitutionality of the the so-called tax cap, next year.

Interesting, but cautionary tale.

Chris Wendt