Draft Babylon Schools Budget Faces $1.5M Gap

The Babylon School District faces a $1.5 million gap in its draft budget for the 2013-2014 school year as officials said lower state aid and rising costs of unaided programs were to blame.

The March 11 presentation, given by deputy superintendent Dr. Peter Daly, calls for a operating budget of $48,712,464 for the 2013-2014 school year, up about $2.45 million from the previous year or 5.29%.

The tax levy limit, after incorporating the 2 percent cap and additional amounts allowed for other salary- and contract-related increases, was estimated to be at 3.11 percent for the upcoming school year, or an additional $880,739. The district receives about 77 percent of its budget through the property tax process, according to Dr. Daly.

Dr. Daly noted to the audience that pension increases alone would cost the district over $881,750. Those costs, he said, were mandates and not available for state aid relief.

Babylon also faces a decrease in New York State aid as Governor Andrew Cuomo's draft budget showed a 1.54 percent cut for the district in the upcoming school year, or roughly $145,000 less than this year's $6,510,978 in state aid.

Dr. Daly said the current drafted budget includes most of the increases requested by staff and administration within reason and would be adjusted as the process continues.

"There are many things here that might change," Dr. Daly said, referencing the possibility of more retirements giving the district some more flexibility and restored, or even increased, state aid. Dr. Daly, however, also noted the potential for the numbers to change if some properties damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy are given lower assessed tax values

"As we enter into the budget process, it still remains our goal to have Babylon emerge as a world-class, 21st century model of education," said Superintendent Richard Rozakis before the presentation. "We intend to see every Babylon graduate college and career ready."

Rozakis added: "This is still a work in progress."

The next budget update meeting and presentation will be held on Thursday, March 21 at Babylon Junior-Senior High School at 7:30 p.m. The previously scheduled and announced meeting for March 18 was cancelled.