Tough choice for William Floyd district

Residents in the William Floyd School District are facing the tough choice of approving a 12.47 percent tax increase to support local schools or defeat the budget and lose all sports plus 150 employees and still pay 9 percent more in taxes.

Dealing with a more than $7 million cut in state aid, the William Floyd Board of Education unanimously approved a 2011-12 budget of more than $208 million Thursday night, a spending plan that would mean the average homeowner would pay $575 more a year in school taxes.

"It's unfortunate we are put in this position without the state support," said Superintendent Paul Casciano. "We have to put the responsibility on the backs of the taxpayers to maintain programs to help our kids compete with kids not only throughout the world, but even on Long Island."

The William Floyd district has joined many other Long Island school systems that face new financial pressures after a $200-million cut in next year's state aid. Districts in both counties have proposed layoffs and program cuts because of the budget approved earlier this month by Albany lawmakers and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

The proposed 2011-12 William Floyd budget, which will go before voters May 17, represents a 4.05 percent increase from the current year's budget, with rising health insurance costs as the No. 1 expenditure. It also includes the elimination of 101 staffers, including 48 teachers. William Floyd let 137 staff members go last year.

If voters reject the budget, the contingency plan at more than $204 million represents some major cuts to the district. The tax levy will increase by 9.46 percent, meaning the average homeowner will pay $436 more in taxes.

But full-day kindergarten will go half day, all athletics throughout the district will be cut and all extra-curricular clubs eliminated. In addition, 150 staff members will be let go.

Casciano said teachers in the district, which has nearly 9,400 students in eight schools, have made several concessions in past years and there have already been discussions regarding next year's budget. The teachers association could not be reached Friday.

"We have nothing concrete on the table right now," Casciano said. "We were in a similar position last year, we had nothing substantial and then people got very creative."

Last year, William Floyd voters overwhelmingly approved a budget with an 8.52 percent tax increase. Casciano said that state aid to the district, which is mostly residential and low-wealth, has been dwindling.

"In the early '90s, 75 percent of our budget was state aid," he said. "We think it could actually go under 50 percent for this year's budget. Our expenses are increasing and state support is going in the opposite direction."

Parent Lorraine Mentz, vice president of the William Floyd Elementary Parent Teacher Organization, said she thinks the community will support the proposed budget.

"The community will rally together and do what we have to do for our kids," she said. "Unfortunately the state has not invested in the future of our kids."

Fred Gorman, founder of Long Islanders for Educational Reform, said that many residents just can't afford the type of increases proposed this year in many school districts.

"There are people out in this community that have to make choices between buying food or buying medicine, because they can't afford both," Gorman said. "People are making sacrifices like this all the time. The school districts say 'It's for the kids.' It means it is for their kids. School districts unfortunately are out of tune with the rest of the world."