Deer Park Schools Budget Falls Within Tax Cap, But Staff to Be Cut

The Deer Park School District draft budget for the 2013-14 school year falls well within New York State's mandated tax cap, according to district officials.

The proposed hike in the school tax levy for next year's spending plan is an estimated 2.57 percent, Marguerite Jimenez, assistant superintendent of business, revealed during a budget presentation Tuesday.

Though the state's standard tax limitation is 2 percent, the district is able to propose up to a 3.82 percent tax levy through a complex formula determined by the state comptroller, according to Jimenez. Though reaching that limit is "not advisable," Jimenez said.

The current draft budget totals $102,998,570, representing a 1.76 percent budget-to-budget increase over last year's spending plan.

Though the budget will not require a supermajority vote from residents, district officials and the Board of Education still face challenges. Superintendent Eva Demyen estimated that four percent of the district's staff will be cut in order to offset a $2.8 million budget gap.

Specific details of the reduction were not discussed. In a letter posted on the district's website Wednesday night, Demyen said exact figures will not be available until the budget process is complete.

The next budget work session is Tuesday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the District Administration Office.