$97M Draft Budget Cuts Teachers, Combines Sport Teams

A $97 million draft budget for the 2011-2012 school year proposed Tuesday by the district superintendent would bring of series of changes to Hauppauge schools including 23 teacher instructor cuts, not including additional personnel, the elimination and combination of sports teams, and severe cuts to students club funding.  

Hauppauge Superintendent Patricia Sullivan-Kriss presented a $97,491,441 draft 2011-2012 school year budget for the Board of Education's consideration at its latest meeting.

"I find myself in the difficult position of having to present a budget where we will be losing personnel from within the system. This is the third year in a row this has occurred," Sullivan-Kriss said. 

The $97 million proposed budget incorporates a $3,456,752 budget-to-budget increase, an additional 3.69 percent, despite the district standing to lose $1.6 million in state educational funding under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed New York State Budget. Out of the $3.4 million budgetary increase, the superintendent calls for $2,980,357 to be raised through through 4.14 percent tax levy. 

Much of this increase, according to the superintendent, is due to district's mandatory increase contributions of $4.6 million going  towards employee's health insurance, debt service on capital bonds and retirement contributions. 

In order to shave $3.3 million from the budget and prevent a 7.59 percent  budget-to-budget increase, there are cuts being taken in teacher staff, district personnel, sports teams and coaches. 

The cuts will affect 23 teachings positions, hitting five full-time teachers at the high school and 5.8 full-time teachers at the middle school. In addition, one librarian will be cut between the middle school and high school, and one guidance counselor at the high school. 

 There will be two teaching positions eliminated at the elementary schools due to enrollment, with 2.8 special subject teachers (art, music, physical education) due to schedule restructing. 

The 2011-2012 draft budgetary proposal also calls for cutting three full-time special education teachers in addition to elimination of one full-time math support teacher, and cutting back 0.4 from reading support. 

In addition to the 23 teacher positions being cut, five full-time teacher assistants could potentially lose their job.

The district's administration and personnel staff will also be taking cuts, losing two from the administrative staff. The project administrator who has been overseeing capital improvements will not be re-hired, saving $30,000, and openings for one bus driver and one bus monitor will be be filled. 

The $97 million budget will also combine or eliminate sports teams and coaches. Junior varsity tennis teams will be eliminated, and eight varsity level teams will lose their assistant coaches: boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball and varsity football. 

At Hauppauge Middle School, the athletic teams would be combined across grades, creating one seventh and eighth grade team in larger sports. 

If this budget goes forward as it is proposed, James Stucchio, assistant superintendent for business and operations, said the budget would cost district residents approximately $17 to $18 a month based on projected tax rates set by Town of Islip and Smithtown. 

Hauppauge Board of Education will meet for its next budget workshop meeting on March 15, 8 p.m., at the former Whiporwhil Elementary School.