S. Huntington eyes layoffs to meet tax cap

The South Huntington School Board is considering a variety of items to cut in an effort to meet the state-mandated property tax levy cap, including laying off the equivalent of 55.7 staff members.

The alternative would be a tax rate increase of 9 percent or 10 percent, officials said.

At a workshop at Walt Whitman High School Wednesday night, district Superintendent Thomas Shea outlined several budget-cutting measures being considered for 2012-13. Included are laying off teachers, paraprofessionals, custodians and clerical staff; going to half-day kindergarten; cuts to middle school, junior varsity and varsity sports; and changes to the bus schedule.

"We only have a very few options," Shea said. "We either need to cut what we need to cut to get to those numbers the state is forcing upon us, or we make a decision that we don't cut and we have a higher-than-tax-cap budget."

To approve a budget above the 2 percent tax levy cap, a 60 percent vote is needed.

The district's current "working" budget is $146,744,492 and would mean a 9.16 percent tax increase. That budget is a 4.63 percent increase over the current $140.3 budget. To meet the state-imposed tax levy cap, the district would need to bring in a budget of $142,990,150, a reduction of $3,754,342. That would mean an estimated 5.38 percent tax rate increase, which would cost $417.80 next year for the average homeowner.

"Residents need to understand that this is a starting point in our working budget, it is not the finishing point," Shea said after the meeting.

All bargaining units have been asked to take pay freezes, but so far, Shea says there are no takers. Superintendents, assistant superintendents and managers such as the athletic director, director of special education and supervisor of grounds, have all agreed to a one-year salary freeze, he said.

Teachers union president Dennis Callahan said he and his 525 members want to save jobs and programs and are well aware of the economic climate.

"Everything is on the table," he said. "I do not say yes to what they are proposing, but I also don't say no; it's all part of the negotiations, so let's just get it done."

The next workshop is Wednesday. On April 4, the budget will be adopted, with a public meeting on May 8. Residents vote on the budget May 15.