Politics & Government

District: State Aid Increase Less Than Expected

Given last year's 11 percent aid cut, Babylon school leaders were hoping for a bigger number this budget season.

The state aid news this week wasn’t what Babylon school district leaders we’re hoping to hear given this year’s state tax levy cap and budget challenges.

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s initial state aid proposal would give Babylon a 3.18 percent increase, which represents $195,472 in operating aid. The figure doesn’t come close to the 11 percent state aid cut the district dealt with last year.

“The increase was less than expected,” Interim Superintendent Peter Daly told Patch in an email. “The district received no increase in operating aid and a minimal increase in the expense driven aid categories.”

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Babylon school leaders are looking at the possible reality of having to cut at least $750,000 from the current budget in order to adhere to the 2 percent tax levy cap.

“An increase is better than a decrease, but the increase will do little to offset the effects of the Governor’s tax cap,” said Daly.

Find out what's happening in Babylon Villagewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Cuomo’s “2012-13 Executive Budget and Reform Plan” features a total increase of $805 million in school aid, of which $56.3 million will be distributed to Long Island districts. The state aid figures will not be finalized for a few months as the governor and the legislature hammer out the details of the state budget.

The total budget includes $250 million for performance grants linked to improved academic performance and management efficiency via a formal enhanced teacher evaluation process that must be created within the year. Failure to do so could mean forfeiting aid increases this year and next, according to a press release.

That stipulation, however, doesn’t bode a challenge to the Babylon as it is already at work developing and crafting a performance evaluation plan for educators.

“The governor’s decision to tie aid to the teacher evaluation process will have no effect on Babylon,” said Daly. “The district has been working collaboratively with the appropriate stakeholders group. We are confident that our APPR plan will be finalized before the governor’s deadline.”

That deadline is January 2013.


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