Serving The Willistons, Albertson, Herricks, Mineola, and Searingtown
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Friday, April 3, 2015
vol. 64, no. 14
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Herricks trustees approve $108M budget By Ja m es G a l l o W ay The Herricks Board of Education last week unanimously voted to adopt a $108.2 million budget proposal that would stay below the tax cap and puts an emphasis on adding teachers to reduce class sizes and reinstate class-size caps. The district also approved a ballot measure to create a capital reserve. The $108.2 million proposal marks a $646,081 or 0.6 percent increase from the $107.6 million budget in 2014-15. Both the budget proposal and the capital reserve will go before voters on May 19. Superintendent John Bierwirth said the 2015-16 budget proposal would to continue to restore programs and positions the district was forced to cut in the past several years. The district cut about 100 jobs between Continued on Page 40
PHOTO BY BILL SAN ANTONIO
Tarmac wins
Blank Slate Media Publisher Steven Blank presents Chaminade High School reporters with their “Best High School Newspaper” awards during the 2015 New York Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest in Saratoga Springs. See story on page 6.
E. Williston ed board okays budget $56.7M proposal maintains current programs, focuses on STEM By Ja m es G a l l o W ay
maintain current programs with an added emphasis on STEM - science, technology, engineering and The East Williston Board of math - programs. The $56,687,113 proposal Education on Tuesday unanimously voted to adopt a $56.7 marks a 1.68 percent or $938,079 million budget proposal, which increase on the current year’s would stay below the tax cap and $55.7 million budget. The projected tax levy increase for 201516 is 1.80 percent. “Because of the assistance and planning of our Financial Advisory Committee, we’re able to project a plan not just
for one year but for years ahead,” Board of Education President Mark Kamberg said, “continuing to not have to cut programs…to add to it, improve and repair our facilities, all while remaining below the allowable tax cap limit.” The budget proposal will go before voters on May 18. The proposal, which continues to chip away at the district’s debt burden, increases funding for a number of STEM-related programs, including the creation
of a robotics club at Willets Road School, more coding opportunities for students and the implementation of year two of the district’s Project Lead the Way Engineering program, a hands-on, applied problem-solving curriculum. “One of the biggest things I’m excited about is that we’re able to provide support of STEM literacy and integrated code teaching models throughout the district,” Kamberg said. Continued on Page 41
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