Middle Country schools weigh budget options

Middle Country school officials are deliberating various budget options, from an unlikely "worst case scenario" of more than $10 million in cuts to less onerous trims.

"We know we have to make reductions," said Superintendent Roberta Gerold, though, on the specifics, "nothing is etched in stone right now."

"I'm hoping that we preserve opportunities for kids the best that we can" while also recognizing the financial limitation of a "hardworking community that's struggling," Gerold said.

Among the options being considered is one that Gerold called a "zero percent budget" with no increase.

"That would require $10.3 million in reductions," she said, including laying off 75-plus staff members, reducing full-day kindergarten to half-day kindergarten, and eliminating sports and extracurricular activities.

"I can't imagine that they would adopt a zero percent budget," Gerold said of the school board. School board officials could not be reached Wednesday.

"I think that the only way this could possibly occur is if we were forced to go into a contingency process," in which she said new rules prohibit contingency budgets from increasing over the prior year's budget.

Other scenarios include smaller cuts, such as one that stays within the 2 percent property tax cap. That would still require the district to come up with $7.9 million in cuts.

Gerold said school officials had sought the public's input. A community meeting was held last week, at which school officials circulated a survey "to assess what the community wants." A budget workshop is scheduled for Feb. 8, and budget options are on the district's website at www.mccsd.net.

Debbie Brown, president of the PTA at Newfield High School, attended last week's community meeting on the budget.

She said returning to half-day kindergarten would put a strain on many families to come up with child care.

"I would like to see programs stay intact," Brown said. "Unfortunately, taxes never go down. . . . Then we get to the point of how much can you take?

"It's a tough situation. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes to try to figure all this out," she said of school officials.