Final Workshop Puts Tax Levy at 2.69 Percent

The Kings Park School District held its final open budget workshop Saturday morning, which outlined an $80,537,086 budget with a tax levy increase of 2.69 percent and a 1.8 percent increase over last year’s budget.

Cuts to the budget included the elimination of 10.5 teaching positions, four due to enrollment decreases and 6.5 due budget cuts.

Non-teaching positions to be cut include the loss of five aides due to decreasing enrollment. Four bus drivers, three whom are retiring, will be eliminated due to the consolidation of bus routes. Other non-teaching reductions lost due to budget cuts include a clerk typist who is retiring and will not be replaced, a mechanic, a maintenance position, two custodians and five aides.

Also included in the draft budget is the start of a phasing out of the French program, which will not be offered in grade seven for the next school year.

District Superintendent, Susan Agruso, said the district is still considering raising the tax levy to the cap of 2.9 percent, which would add an additional $125,000 to the budget.

Still of concern and not yet resolved is the increased class size for grade six. Agruso said she is waiting on updated number on state aid and anticipates the district will receive additional money.

“We are expecting some additional state aid, which would be used to restore a sixth grade teaching position,” said Agruso.