School Taxes Rise As Curriculum Expands

Editor's note: The school district has now posted the 2012-2013 budget presentation on the website. Click here to access or review the PDF attached to this article.

The approved a Tuesday night that will cost the average homeowner an extra $127 in taxes.

The budget expands the curriculum and pays for upgrades to security and labs, Superintendent Mark Porto said.

This is the first year that taxpayers will not vote on the school budget. In January the while  eliminating the need for a vote on a budget that falls under the 2 percent state-mandated cap.

Porto said students will now be able to take courses online that are not offered in the classrooms, via the

Porto said there will a revamping of math and science programs. There are also plans to upgrade school building security and to update at least one science lab, he said.

Reading will continue to be a major priority in study, especially at the elementary levels, he said. Porto said the philosophy that there should be a connectedness from pre-K all the way through grade 12 continues “so that students will be ready for the vigor of middle school and demands of high school.”

He said the career-based learning and the use of technology, pointing to the many accomplishments that have already been achieved such as with iPads, will be “fine tuned” in the next school year.

Porto said students voted for additional career-based electives in a survey.

He said 140 students requested psychology, which will be taught next year, as will a dual enrollment course with Syracuse University in forensics, which was requested by about 30 students. Other expanded courses include a second level to Web design and culinary arts.

He also said there are plans to introduce world languages at the middle school level. A part-time nurse will be hired to go on field trips and help keep the department fully-staffed when other nurses are out to lunch.

Porto also explained what the state-mandated 2 percent cap actually means.

He said the tax levy from the previous year is the starting point, and that there are adjustments allowed based on factors such as enrollment increases. Hasbrouck Heights saw an increase of 6 percent in enrollment from last year to this year. Additional health benefit cost are also allowable.

Because of these factors, the budget, which amounts to an increase of about 3.63 tax points, is still within cap, Porto said.