At the South Orangetown Central School District, we are incredibly excited at the progress that our students have made in the past year. As a school district, we have a responsibility to ensure that their progress continues for the upcoming school year and beyond. Through the school budget process, we have formulated the spending plan for the 2016 – 2017 school year. It is through this process that we build an education program that prepares our students for unlimited opportunities for success. This process also illustrates the difficult choices that we must make when faced with the reality that we are dealing with limited resources. With this in mind, there are several features of the proposed 2016 – 2017 budget that voters should consider prior to the May 17 referendum.
The first feature of the proposed budget is that our Board of Education is planning for a school budget that ensures that the tax levy does not exceed the legally prescribed “Tax Cap.” With voter support, the Board of Education will calculate a tax payment that is based on a 0.2% increase in the tax levy. This tax levy will support a modest increase in school spending of 0.8% and reserves any unspent funds toward future tax stabilization and preservation of publicly owned assets.
The second, and most important, feature of the proposed 2016 – 2017 school budget is that it maintains all academic, curricular, and co-curricular opportunities for our students. The quality of student learning will continue to improve given we, as a district, provide high-quality instructional events, focus on student perseverance, and enhance family engagement at every grade level. This budget is designed to accomplish all of these things…and more.
Lastly, we will continue to invest in our students by preparing them to be productive, 21st Century citizens. Our District will continue to emphasize creativity though the arts and humanities along with (and as part of) traditional skills development in the areas of mathematics, technology, engineering, and physical/social sciences. Our students will continue to benefit from courses that emphasize literacy, analytical and critical thinking, synthesis, and quantitative skills through project-based learning. I am proud to live and work in a community that supports our culture of innovation and strongly values those skills that students will need in order to thrive as productive and happy citizens in a global economy.
In summary, we are confident that the proposed 2016 – 2017 budget will position our school district for continued investment in student growth going forward while being mindful of the fiscal pressures on our taxpayers. Thank you in advance for your participation in this very important process and please remember to vote on Tuesday, May 17, 2017.
