Bellmore-Merrick school district

VOTING

7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday at C.A. Reinhard Early Childhood Center in Bellmore; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Norman J. Levy Lakeside School in Merrick; 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Newbridge Road School in Bellmore; 2 to 10 p.m. at Harold D. Fayette School in Merrick.

THE BUDGET

The district proposes a $142,802,333 budget for 2015-16, a 2.43 percent increase from the current $139,418,645. The local tax levy would rise 2.05 percent, from $108,807,688 to $111,038,136.

The increase is within the state's tax-cap limit of 2.073 percent, so a simple majority vote will be required to approve the budget. The district did not provide the dollar amount that an average single-family home was taxed this year or would be taxed next.

The proposed budget restores funding for two administration positions. It includes funding for middle school robotics, math, culinary and media clubs.

It adds the equivalent of 1.2 English as a Second Language teacher positions. It also adds eight special-education teacher positions, a districtwide fine arts director and three nurses. The district's teachers would receive a 1 percent contractual salary increase and step increases generally ranging from 0.5 percent to 1 percent, and one step at 2 percent.

District website:

www.bmchsd.k12.ny.us

THE CANDIDATES

The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District does not hold its own school board elections. Instead, two board members each from the Bellmore, North Bellmore, Merrick and North Merrick elementary school districts are appointed to the central high school district school board.