The Citizens’ Advisory Committee for Finance (“CACF”) is comprised of the undersigned residents of Manhasset selected by the Manhasset Board of Education to be broadly representative of the community, and it serves as an independent liaison between the community and the Board regarding the annual operating budget for the School District. We have appreciated the extensive and open process that the Board has engaged in again this year to educate and to solicit and be responsive to input from our committee and from the community at large as the proposed budget was being formulated.
Despite an increase in student enrollment by 7% over the last six years and numerous fixed expenses that the Board and the District cannot affect, the proposed budget falls within the allowable tax levy cap — with an increase of 1.84% over the prior year, for an average increase of only 1.76% over the last six years. Most importantly, it maintains the school system’s highly-regarded offerings for our children and even corrects some of the most unfortunate effects of last year’s cuts, including reducing elementary and secondary class sizes back to appropriate levels and restoring 4th grade music programs and certain other important after-school activities and support groups.
The Board has enabled these budget improvements by engaging in extensive discussions with our various employee unions and reaching compromises; participating in the state’s pension contribution stabilization program last year; reducing transportation costs through greater efficiency; and reducing special education costs, while the program was enhanced. Having been part of the process, we feel that the District is now well-positioned financially for the coming years. We commend the Board for all of its efforts on behalf of our children and the community.
The members of the CACF unanimously support the proposed budget for the next school year.
Thomas Carroll, Chair
Vlassi Baktidy
Eileen Bauer
David Cielusniak
Michael Hastava
Joel Levitin
Brian Loughlin
Spiros Maliagros
John McCusker
