Lynbrook Schools Prepare for Bad News From Albany

While most are making New Year's resolutions this time of year, the Lynbrook Board of Education will instead be crossing its fingers heading into 2011, hoping that a series of government proposals likely having a negative impact on school districts do not become reality.

"It's not gonna be a nice story, I'm afraid," said Superintendent Dr. Santo Barbarino at Wednesday's Board of Education meeting at Lynbrook High School, referencing several discussions taking place at the state level that would require school districts to make tough financial decisions in coming years — some sooner than others.

One of the larger issues the board discussed on Wednesday were rumors of Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo being in support of a tax cap for school districts. A cap would put limits on how much school districts could increase spending each school year — something many districts are concerned about in a period of economic uncertainty, which has resulted in less state aid and higher contributions to state retirement systems for school districts this year. Only with a certain percentage of voters (a number which has not been established) would districts be permitted to exceed that cap.

Trustee Robert Paskoff said it might be a good idea to begin the 2011-12 budget-planning process as if a 2.5-percent tax cap — a percentage that has been discussed in the past — were in place, something he said other Long Island school districts have begun doing. Barbarino said Lynbrook would likely have to do the same, though he was concerned about what such a budget, likely with significant cuts, would look like.

"We're going to watch very carefully to see what [Cuomo] is going to do," Barbarino said. "This could be a problem."

The board also expressed concerns about rumors of mid-year state aid cuts, something that hasn't been done since Cuomo's father, Mario Cuomo, was governor.

There has also been a proposal made by the New York Department of Education that suggests extending the school day, school year, increasing course requirements, and accelerating education at the middle school level. Barbarino said there is limited information currently available on the proposal, but he was scheduled to meet with several LI superintendents and high school principals on the issue this past Thursday.

The board briefly discussed the possibility of school districts having to pay $6 per Regents exam if the state education department does not approve the Regents exam budget.

So, as the board crosses its fingers for good news in 2011, it is also preparing for the worst.

"Anything can happen. Right now, I'm telling you everything we know," Barbarino said, adding that the board is going to need the community's input along the way. "We're going to keep you posted … and we're going to need you."