East Hampton Board of Ed Approves Budget

The East Hampton Board of Education voted to approve a $27,238,340 budget for Fiscal Year 2012-13. The budget calls for a $1,026,338 increase over FY 2011-12 or 3.92 percent higher.

“The finance committee, we felt like coming down to 3.92 was where we could comfortably end up right now,” School Superintendent Dr. Judith Golden said. “There’s a lot of unknowns. We understand that it’s high for some people, but we believe it’s important to have in order to provide the education we’re providing for our students and the high quality of programs and services."

Not all on the board were happy with the budget. Josh Piteo took exception to no money being spent on technology other than for maintenance. Golden said she understood the concern but added this wasn’t a budget about moving forward.

“We have made enormous inroads in technology in the last five years,” Golden said. “We did ask for $50,000 in the capital budget for technology and that was denied. I understand, we have to make choices. We did budget for repair and maintenance. We budgeted $30,000 to make sure we take care of what we have. What we can’t do for one year is move forward. I think we’ve made that really clear. This is not a forward moving budget. … This budget is the budget that will allow us to stand still. It won’t help us to move forward.

Piteo continued, saying that while some kids might have all the recent technology at home, some don’t, and stressed the importance of not sitting still for a year while technology continues to explode.

“I’m voting on salaries and pensions and benefits, primarily that’s what gets fed first, and then what’s left over for crumbs is for the kids,” Piteo said. “That’s the feel I get for this budget. … Who’s standing still? The kids. Everything else in the world is moving around them.”

Golden said she has the same concern and that “you’re preaching to the choir.” She added that the district would continue to seek donations and grants.

“We’ll pursue every avenue to see if we can’t add to the quality of our technology in our district,” she said.

About $22 million in the budget is for salaries, insurance, social security, Medicare and pensions.

Board member Don Coolican said, “We have more employees now, FTEs, than we did eight years ago and we have eight percent less students. The problem here, if we’re looking to save money, is in employees and their benefits. You have to go right to the heart of the matter if we’re going to reduce this budget.

“I can’t support a 3.9 percent increase.”

Most, however, supported the budget, citing that it does not include cutting programs while other districts are. More importantly, it does not cut teaching positions, which will allow for class sizes to stay similar to what they are, an important factor in what makes for a quality education.

“I would love to add technology to this budget, we all would,” Vice Chair Joanne Barmasse said. “What is left for us to cut besides massive positions? I don’t really like the budget is that high, but when you see what it is going toward we’re kind of bound.

“I‘m in favor of this because I don’t want to see class sizes increase. I don’t want to see electives cut or programs cut because we’re basically at bare bones. Anything that we cut is going to be hitting the kids and that’s not what you want to do.”

Scott Minnick agreed.

“This 3.92 percent is reasonable, it’s fair, it’s a little bit status quo, I understand what you’re saying, but we’re at least not getting rid of programs,” he said.

Barmasse made a motion for the board to accept the budget and its 3.92 percent increase and it passed 7-2. Piteo and Coolican voted against.

The budget will now go to the board of finance.