Island Park School Voters Guide 2010

VOTING

7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Lincoln Orens Middle School.THE BUDGET

The district is proposing a budget of $32,523,380 for the 2010-11 school year, a 4.14 percent increase over the current budget of $31,229,467. The local tax levy would rise 2.83 percent, going from $28,134,467 to $28,930,556.

The district declined to provide an estimated tax increase for an average home, citing complications with tax assessments in Nassau County.

The proposed budget includes a 3.5 percent salary increase for teachers, plus variable step increases.

One administrative position has been eliminated in the proposal, while one Spanish teacher for grades 4 to 6 is added.

There is a referendum on the ballot to establish a capital reserve fund to replace or repair steam pipes in Lincoln Orens Middle School over the next three years. The $530,000 project would be funded from existing reserves, so it would have no effect on the tax rate.

District website:

ips.k12.ny.us

THE CANDIDATES

Incumbent Barbara Speight has withdrawn from the election, leaving Richie Hayes and Richard Schurin vying for one seat with a five-year term.

Richie Hayes

BACKGROUND: Hayes, 45, works as a supervisor of the Wantagh Animal Shelter. He and his wife, Carla DeLaurenzo-Hayes, have a daughter who attends the district middle school. He has lived in the district all of his life, attending district schools, and graduated from SUNY Delhi.

ISSUES: Hayes said the most important issue for the district is the anticipated loss of $250,000 in state aid for 2010-11, as well as the threat of the Barrett Power Plant going public, which he said would result in the district losing 44 percent of its tax base. While the state promises to supplement this loss with payment in lieu of taxes, he said, "Considering the financial straits the state is in, we cannot keep relying on that promise." He said as a board member, he would "keep spending to a minimum," closely monitoring expenses in such areas as extracurricular activities, busing and use of buildings by outside groups. But Hayes said he was also concerned about the prospect of the state changing requirements on students' involvement in music and arts. He didn't want to see enrichment activities "taken away from students," calling them essential for a "well-rounded" education.

Richard Schurin

BACKGROUND: Schurin, 44, has lived in the district for nine years. He is an attorney with a Manhattan law firm. He and his wife, Maureen, have two sons who attend the district elementary school. Schurin graduated from the University of Massachusetts and St. John's University School of Law.

ISSUES: Schurin said the most important issue is providing a quality public education in an affordable way. He said Island Park is the smallest school district in Nassau County, with one elementary school and a middle school. District children can attend either Long Beach or West Hempstead high schools. "I believe that this unique situation presents us with an opportunity to decrease costs while still providing a first-class education." He said the district should also talk to Long Beach and West Hempstead about sharing costs. He wants the board to reconsider plans to spend "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to rehabilitate the district's conference center, which he said is not crucial to the district's educational mission. He suggests alternatives, "including divestiture."