The restoration of some state aid has Huntington school officials reconsidering the district's proposed 3.5 percent property-tax increase.

Now that the district is getting $544,476 more than the $10,373,538 originally proposed for the district by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, the school board and its administration are deciding whether to restore programs, such as the Saturday Academy, an academic support program, lower the tax rate or a combination of both.

Officials are also considering using an unspecified amount of budgeted fund balance money to help offset the burden to taxpayers and restore programs. Additionally they are looking to reduce the equipment allocations in the proposed budget.

But the district is still considering implementing half-day kindergarten instead of full-day, cutting the boys varsity volleyball team, and only partially funding the high school marching band.

"No matter what we do, it's not good," school board president Bill Dwyer said yesterday. "Our real problem is the state has cut off our revenue sources without giving us any tools to decrease our expenses. The only tool we have to decrease expenses is cutting things, and that's painful."

The tax increase being considered ranges from 2.91 percent to 3.5 percent, Dwyer said.

The board has been considering a draft budget of $108,732,301 for the 2011-12 school year. That proposal calls for the elimination of 102.6 positions including 35.1 elementary staff members, nine secondary staffers, which includes reading teachers, and 58.5 noninstructional staffers such as aides. The budget goes to voters May 17. The district also said two librarians, three speech therapists and three psychologists could be let go. The proposed budget includes a salary reduction for the incoming superintendent to $200,000 -- down from $266,629. Superintendent John Finello's contract expires June 30.

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