Are You Glad the School Budget Passed? [POLL]

Next year's Half Hollow Hills school budget easily passed on Tuesday with a voter approval rate of 69 percent.

Residents voted in favor of the $221,918,299 spending plan by a margin of 1573-710.

The proposed budget represents a  and a 2.33 tax levy tax hike, which stays within the state's limit.

Despite the tax levy cap, schools in Half Hollow Hills will be spared the severe instructional and program cuts that have inflicted several other Long Island districts. All school buildings will remain open and the district will continue to provide the same level of instruction as it has, Superintendent Kelly Fallon said.

However cuts do include 37 teaching positions, 14 of which are being , and 30 other staff members including 10 paraprofessionals, 10 monitors and six clerical workers. Teacher salaries will increase 3 percent and there is a step increase of about 2.46 percent.

Other cuts include the printing of a district calendar, the combined middle school musical, a variety of BOCES programs and elementary level student supplies. Additional reductions will be seen in the district’s extracurricular activity clubs, the athletic department and the purchasing of textbooks and district equipment.

Are you glad the budget passed? Tell us in the poll and comments section below.