Wyandanch school district trims budget, lowers tax hike

After a sharp voter rejection last week, Wyandanch school officials have come back with a projected 3.23 percent tax hike - drastically reduced from the original 13.94 percent that was the highest on Long Island.

The district's trimmed-down budget calls next year for spending $55 million, laying off 15 teachers and enlarging elementary classes. Spending actually would drop nearly two-tenths of a percent from this year's figure.

"I feel much better about it - this is something that, as a homeowner, I can afford," said Denise Baines, the school board president.

A revote will be June 15. Wyandanch is one of 10 Island districts where budget votes failed.

Originally, Wyandanch had proposed a $57-million budget that would have increased spending 3.4 percent. The plan was voted down, 236 to 147, with many residents saying they couldn't afford a double-digit tax hike.

District officials had hoped to avoid layoffs by negotiating a temporary wage freeze with teachers, whose contract expires in June. However, those talks failed late Tuesday. Teacher representatives could not be reached for comment.

Wyandanch has won about $500,000 in contract concessions from other workers.

As part of their budget plan, Wyandanch authorities are betting the district will obtain as much state and federal aid next year as it receives now. The 2,000-student district is the Island's poorest in terms of taxable wealth; more than 60 percent of its revenues come from state and federal sources.

But the district's bet could be risky. Gov. David A. Paterson has proposed cutting Wyandanch's aid by more than $900,000, and state lawmakers are nearly two months late in adopting a final aid package.

Assemb. Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst), who represents Wyandanch and nearby communities, voiced hope Thursday that lawmakers would reach agreement on aid before the June 15 revote - thus making the financial picture clearer. Sweeney added, however, that it is difficult to predict exactly how much money Wyandanch would get.

Roger Tilles, the Island's representative to the State Board of Regents, said the district's best hope of assistance might be at the federal level. President Barack Obama's administration has $4.3 billion in "Race to the Top" school grants to distribute to qualifying states and districts later this year, and Congress is considering another $23 billion nationwide to save teacher jobs.

"Washington's allowed to go over their budget - they can print money and the state can't," Tilles said.

Wyandanch now spends more than $27,000 per student - $4,600 above the Island's average. But local school-board trustees have long accused each other of wasting money through patronage hiring and contracts.