North Bellmore BOE Adopts 2013-14 School Budget

The North Bellmore School District unanimously voted to adopt its 2013-2014 budget, with Superintendent Arnold Goldstein touting it as a success in spite of cuts in state aid and a strict tax cap.

The soon-to-be retiring Goldstein said that his administration had succeeded in preserving the district’s strong educational base going forward into next year.

“The budget aligns with the tax cap while maintaining the integrity of our instructional program,” Goldstein said. “We’ve managed to do this with only a 2.5 increase in taxes, which we’re very proud of.”

The 2013-2014 budget comes in at $50,498,245, a 4.98 percent increase over the previous year’s budget of $48,101,775. The Tax Levy is set at 2.5 percent, well below the New York State-allowed cap of 3.43 percent.

Assistant Superintendent of Business, Mark Schissler, stated that the newly-approved budget was a triumph in light of the financial woes facing many schools in New York State, and encouraged residents to vote to approve it.

“We have accomplished a 2.5 percent tax increase by moving all our programs and staff forward,” Schissler said. “We have not had to make some of the cuts other districts have done, both in the educational and personnel areas. What we need to do is to get word out about this. We need to get the people to come out and vote and pass this budget.”

The public budget vote will be held on May 21 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Newbridge Road School.