BOE Seeks More Community Input On School Budget

The West Islip Board of Education will be seeking community input on how it should work to close a nearly $2 million gap seen in the initial 2013-14 draft budget presented last week by Superintendent Richard Simon.

On Friday, a survey will go live on the school district’s website that will ask local residents for their thoughts on various issues that may help trustees and administrators finalize a proposed budget by the mid-April deadline. Once live, the survey will run until March 17.

While specifics on questions in the survey were not shared publicly at Wednesday second budget work session at Beach Street Middle School, board members and Simon did provide some insight as to what topics will be covered.

Those topics include:
• questions about program and service modifications
• maintaining a nine period day vs. an eight period day at the middle school level
• class sizes
• questions about the International Baccalaureate program
• use of reserve funds in the 2013-14 budget
• reducing the number of instructional days through a furlough

Results of the survey will be made public at the next budget work session scheduled for March 20 at Beach Street.

Editor’s note: Patch will update readers on Friday when the survey goes live on the school district’s website.

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