Malverne School District Surveys Taxpayers on 2013-14 Budget

It's almost that time of the year again. 

No, we're not referring to the approaching holidays, but rather school budget season. 

As the Malverne Union Free School District prepares to begin discussions on crafting the 2013-2014 budget, it's asking all community members to participate in a brief online survey.

The district explains:

This survey will provide the Board of Education and administration feedback on what is most important to taxpayers as we begin the budget process.

The survey can be found on the district's Web site (www.malverne.k12.ny.us) or by clicking here. It will be accessible through the end of November.

The questions ask residents to rank the importance of various aspects of the district including art, music and library instruction in the elementary schools, buildings and grounds maintenance, clubs, electives, college-level and AP courses, athletics, maintaining class sizes, and incorporating technology in classrooms.

The survey also gauges residents' views on whether or not the district should exercise the option to create new fees or increase existing ones for certain services to raise revenue.

While the survey is anonymous, it does seek to acquire broad information about the responders including whether or not they have children who attend the schools, whether they have voted in past elections and what motivates them to hit the polls.

The survey results will be used as talking points for the district’s Budget Forum, which will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 7 p.m. in the Howard T. Herber Middle School auditorium.

School officials "urge all residents to participate in the survey regardless of whether they can be present for the forum."