Superintendent: Budget Will Have Close to a Zero Percent Increase

Superintendent Arnold Goldstein announced on Wednesday that there will be a close to zero percent budget increase in the North Bellmore School District's  2012-2013 school budget.

The proposed budget for the upcoming school year is $47,901,815 million.

"The budget increase is at negative .27 percent, the lowest we have ever had," Goldstein said. "We will not have class increases and we will not cut any programs.

According to Goldstein, last year's budget increased 2.18 percent, which at the time was the district's lowest. The 2011-2012 budget was $48,029,117 million.

In December 2011, the North Bellmore Board of Education announced that Jacob Gunther Elementary School will close in June. Goldstein said that the decision to close the facility lead to the low budget increase.

"This is the result of the closing of a building which has caused anguish in this community," he said.

Goldstein said that the closing of a building, the tightening of the budget and retirement incentives saved the district $1.2 million.