Voter’s Guide to the 2011-12 Mineola Budget

Headed into today’s school budget vote, the Mineola Patch is bringing you a voter’s guide for everything you need to know before you head into the voting booth.

2011-12 School Budget

The total amount of the 2011-12 Mineola , representing an increase of $4,093,065 in spending or a 5.11 percent raise over 2010-11.

The 2011-12 tax levy – what the District will ask the community to contribute – would be $74,798,377, an increase of $1,734,364 over 2010-11, or 2.37 percent. It is the fourth year in a row that Mineola has put forth a tax levy increase under 2.5 percent.

Key to understanding the budget is a $2,625,211 transfer to a capital line for the . Without the $2.6 million for included, the adjusted budget would be about $81.4 million, a $1.26 million increase over 2010-11, or 1.58 percent.

The $2.6 million amount is comprised of $2.129 million for Hampton, paid out of the designated fund balance and $495,561 for the , paid through the tax levy. 

If the budget were to fail at the polls, the district would reduce the budget by $2.8 million.

In order to arrive at that amount of contingency reductions, the district would remove both the Hampton and Meadow projects as well as equipment and an additional $26,565 from various areas which have yet to be determined.

Regardless of passage of the budget on May 17, the Hampton Project will still move forward.

If the budget were to fail on May 17, the $2,129,650 for Hampton will be transferred to the capital reserve fund prior to June 30, 2011 and a vote to spend the money will take place sometime in the 2011-12 school year, most likely during the summer.

If that vote fails, the would become the South school in .

Board of Education Candidates

Voters will be asked to vote for two trustees amongst four candidates running for the board of education:

• (incumbent)
• (incumbent)

Proposition

Residents must vote on whether or not to approve a which increases the minimum distance for bus transportation eligibility for students in fifth grade from the existing half mile limit to a one mile limit and for the eighth grade from the existing one mile limit to 1.5 miles. 

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the , , and Hampton Street schools.