School districts plan program cuts as state aid is reduced

The Sayville school district is talking about cutting full-day kindergarten. Central Islip's administration is considering laying off more than 100 teachers and other personnel.

Potential dramatic cuts in state aid continue to have an impact as school districts across Long Island construct budgets for next year.

Gov. David A. Paterson proposed to reduce aid to Sayville by $2.2 million, and to Central Islip by $4.2 million. The state legislature is still negotiating a budget for 2010-11, but many Albany insiders say Paterson's cuts are unrealistic - especially in an election year.

In Sayville, going from full-day to half-day kindergarten would save $480,000. School officials also are considering eliminating all middle school teams and reducing library book purchases.

"This is not a spending issue, it is a revenue problem - due to the $2.2 million loss in state aid and the New York State's inability to meet its fiscal obligations to public schools," said John Belmonte, assistant superintendent for business.

Meghan Andersen, a parent who teaches in another district, said she wants the full-day program to continue. She said Sayville, which she attended, has had full-day kindergarten for more than 20 years.

"Early education is the key," Andersen said.

The district has proposed an $80,160,453 draft budget, which would represent a 3.64 percent spending increase and call for a projected tax rate increase of 8.9 percent.

That tax rate, Belmonte said, is "still not acceptable to present to the community" and the district is looking for other ways to trim the budget.

Belmonte said the district is looking for additional savings as it negotiates with union employees, including its 282 teachers. He said there may be a few layoffs but most positions that would have to be eliminated would be done so by attrition.

The district will host a community forum on the budget Thursday at 7 p.m. at the high school.

Central Islip is considering cutting 111 teachers, support staff and administrators if state aid is not restored. Superintendent Craig Carr said a small part of that reduction would be through attrition with a majority to come through layoffs.

The district also is looking at cuts to its prekindergarten, music and sports programs. Carr said the programming cuts are still in the discussion phase.

"Hopefully we can put some if not all of it back if the state comes through with more money, but the governor's proposal has forced us to have to look at these reductions and give people advance notice," he said.

Angry parents voiced concern at a meeting Tuesday night that the loss of programs will make their children more vulnerable to the streets and to escalating violence in the area. Carr said the decision to cut such programs is "heartbreaking" for officials.

"We have put so many programs here in place to keep students safe . . . but each one costs a penny or two," he said. "I understand the global economy and how it touches us but I think loss of state aid harms us less-wealthy districts more because we rely upon state aid so much more."

Both districts are scheduled to complete their budgets in the next two weeks. All school district budgets go to the public for a vote on May 18.

With Denise M. Bonilla