School Board Starts Budget Process

The Clarkstown Board of Education will hold its regular meeting Thursday night at 8 p.m. which will be followed by a budget input meeting. Comments from the community regarding the 2013 -2014 school budget will be accepted.

During its regular meeting, board members are expected to discuss telecommunications courses and Smart Board purchase and installation costs. The possibility of placing Smart Boards in all elementary classrooms came up at the board’s last meeting and the members requested a cost analysis. 23 of the district’s elementary classes do not have Smart Boards.

Eagle Scout Michael Kezner will be recognized for building a garden with planting beds and two benches at Little Tor Elementary School for his Eagle Scout project.  Kezner was a student at Little Tor. The board will accept a $285.60 donation for the Little Tor Garden Project from Troop 97’s Eagle Scouts. 

The school calendar for the 2013-2014 school year will be reviewed and voted on. Under the proposed calendar, school would begin on September 9, 2013 and end on June 26, 2014.  In includes a total of 180 student instructional days and five superintendent’s conference days are built into the calendar.

The board will vote on a resolution for a proposed settlement of a property tax challenge filed by Esquire Village Office Condominiums in New City. The property tax appeal filed for five office condominiums initially covered the tax years 2007 to 2011.  The proposed settlement reduces the property tax assessment for only the 2010-2011 tax year. It reduces the assessed value from $1,072,225 to $986,447 and requires a tax certiorari refund of $5,971.28.