N. Babylon BOE Considers Above The Cap Budget

The North Babylon School District is one of only six in Suffolk County proposing a school budget that exceeds the state’s mandated tax levy cap.

But as the board of education prepares for its final budget hearing this spring on Tuesday, it is unclear what impact the additional state aid may have on the 2012-13 proposed spending plan and tax levy increase.

Prior to the state finalizing its budget for fiscal year 2012-13, North Babylon’s board of education agreed to propose a $107.1 million budget for the upcoming school year, which includes slightly more than $39 million in state aid. The proposal did not include the additional $654,169 in state aid earmarked for the school district in New York’s finalized budget.

How this additional funding will be used could be answered at Tuesday night’s budget hearing at the high school.

Currently the school district’s proposed budget includes a 3.68 percent tax levy increase — a 3.99 percent tax rate increase — that is above the 2.14 percent tax levy increase for North Babylon allowed by law this year. To get the budget with an increase above the tax levy cap approved, at least 60 percent of voters must cast a “yes” vote.

In 2011, the budget was approved by 68 percent of voters.

“It is important to note that the proposed budget continues to maintain all programs and services for students at the same level as the current 2011-2012 school budget, including co-curricular activities and athletics,” Patricia Godek, superintendent, wrote in a presentation to the community. “A tax levy cap budget (at 2.14 percent) would require the district to eliminate and/or reduce programs and services: instructional positions as well as co-curricular activities and athletics.”

According to Godek’s recent budget presentation, to reduce the budget to meet the 2.14 percent tax levy cap the school district would have to cut an additional $873,767 from its proposed budget.

This would include cuts in co-curricular activities ($145,511), athletics ($448,038), late buses ($154,218) and other undetermined areas ($154,218).