Saturday, November 5, 2011

Seaford School Board meeting 11.3.2011

The November 3, 2011, meeting of the Seaford School Board opened with the Pledge of Allegiance at 7:30 p.m. in the Harbor School.  About sixty residents attended.  All five trustees were present.
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A potential buyer has toured the Seaford Avenue school, with consideration to use the building for the firm's office space.  The broker and district continue to market the school, which for decades has not been used as a district school, but has been leased at various times.
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In 1961, fifty years ago, ground was broken for the Seaford Harbor school, which welcomed the first students in 1963.
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The board received donations to assist the schools in this year of a contingency budget. Save Seaford Sports presented a check for $43,000, to be used to restore winter sports and middle school sports.
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The superintendent outlined the much-changed procedure and calendar for determining the 2012-2013 budget. One deadline is Mach 1, 2012, when the district must present to the state the Tax Levy figure.  Note that the 2% cap is on the Tax Levy, not directly on the budget.  It is said that New York State will provide in January or early February the amount it intends to provide to each district, so that the Tax Levy could be computed.  The entire procedure is quite different from other years, and it offers uncharted challenges.  Again it has happened that some new State mandates provide no funds to accomplish what is newly required.
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The Board discussed the membership and necessary work of the Audit Committee and the Budget Committee.  This writer has noticed that the meetings and preparatory work done by volunteers of the Board or for the Board has increased in recent years.  Instead of meeting just monthly, they and their helpers have invested much more time in preparation for decision-making.  Notice of these additional committee meetings are posted at the Seaford Public Library and on the district website.

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