Amityville School Voters Guide 2010

VOTING

7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Northeast Elementary School and Amityville Memorial High School.

THE BUDGET

The district is proposing a budget of $77,105,840 for the 2010-11 school year, an increase of 2.98 percent from the current budget of $74,871,352. The tax levy would rise 4.54 percent to $49,925,943 from the current levy of $47,757,742.

The average homeowner with a house assessed at $875 in the Town of Oyster Bay and $3,675 in the Town of Babylon would pay an estimated $4,993, a 4.54 percent increase from the current $4,776.

The proposed budget includes a 2 percent contractual salary increase for instructional staff. The average estimated value of the step increment is 2.5 percent. Teachers at top step would receive only the 2 percent and no increment. All others would receive the 2 percent plus the increment.

The proposed budget also calls for the reduction of 10 full-time staff positions: six instructional, two maintenance, one grounds and one custodial.

Because of the reduced staffing, the district said it plans to adjust class size and eliminate classes with insufficient enrollment so that there will be no loss of significant programs or services. The district will be expanding the administrative supervision of the English as a Second Language program, adding 0.4 full-time employees.

District website:

amityvilleschools.org

THE CANDIDATES

Incumbents Juliet Jordon-Thompson and Michele Sikhrangkur are running unopposed for seats with three-year terms.