2012: Smithtown to shut elementary school

Despite ruling out closing a school next fall to cut costs, Smithtown school officials plan to shutter one of the district's nine elementary schools for the 2012-13 school year, Superintendent Edward Ehmann said Monday.

No decision has been made on which of the schools will be closed, he said in an interview.

Faced with declining enrollment and a possible $5.3-million cut in state aid, Smithtown officials considered closing a school next fall but rejected the idea amid community opposition.

"It is not happening in September of 2011, but we are continuing our research because we are closing one in September of 2012," Ehmann said.

Ehmann said last month that closing a school would save $500,000 per year.

Like many districts, Smithtown is struggling to reduce spending amid state moves to trim aid to schools.

Smithtown has proposed a tentative 2011-12 budget of $213.3 million, which may carry a 4.9 percent increase in the property tax levy. The final tax increase depends on how much the district withdraws from reserve funds, Ehmann said.

Statewide, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has proposed capping property tax increases at 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. It would take effect for the 2012-13 school year, if approved by the State Legislature.

With a school closing no longer under consideration for this year, Smithtown is contemplating other cost-saving measures, including teacher layoffs and increased class sizes, Ehmann said. About 99 of the district's 845 teachers have received notices saying their jobs may be eliminated, he said.

Rich Forzano, president of the Smithtown Teachers' Association, said the union is resigned to staff reductions.

"I'm hoping that it's not going to be 100 teachers," Forzano said. "I think it does seem to be unavoidable that some cuts have to be made."

Ehmann said the district considered eliminating some teachers by attrition, but "not a significant number" plan to retire. "We have very few alternatives," Ehmann said.

Forzano said he expects teachers, who have been working without a contract since June, to attend tonight's meeting as "a show of unity." He said 800 teachers might attend.

Forzano said negotiations went to arbitration when the two sides failed to reach an agreement. "We've had our ups and downs," he said. "More downs, I would say."

Ehmann declined to comment on contract negotiations.