School Superintendent Proposes
$111.8 Million Dollar Spending Plan

Riverhead School Superintendent Nancy Carney unveiled her proposed spending plan for the coming school year.  It calculates to a 3.28 % or $3 million dollar increase in spending for the 2011-2012 budget.

The spending plan includes a number of cuts but were not specified.  The bulk of the spending comes from funding retirement pensions and cost of living increases.  Utilizing the spending framework presented by the Superintendent, the School Board will now have to prepare a budget to be presented for approval by the public  in early May 2011.

The spending proposal is only part of the story of course.  All school districts are now awaiting a final budget determination by the Governor wherein he may cut $2.9 million dollars in aid to the Riverhead School District in order to close the gap on a 10 billion dollar statewide deficit.

A team of Long Island State Senators has vowed to fight the Governor on his budget cuts although Cuomo has received a lot of support even across party lines.

This school board must know that the public is reaching the breaking point when it comes to taxes and with 60 to 65% of the annual tax bill going to the school district there is likely to be strong resistance for an excessive tax rate. 

Prediction here: The budget  won't pass the first time round.