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Schools

State Aid More Than Expected for North Fork Schools

With the passage of the New York State budget last week, North Fork School districts saw across the board cuts in state aid, though the numbers were more than expected.

Over the last few months, school districts have been grappling with their 2011-2012 budgets without knowing how much state aid they will receiev — and now the wait is over.

When the New York State budget passed last week, all North Fork school districts took a hit in state aid; however, the hit was not as deep as some districts were anticipating. New York State Senator Ken LaValle released the revised numbers late last week.

The took the largest hit in terms of percentages, with an 11.5% loss. The district’s state aid is projected to be $296,586, down some $38,544 from 2010-2011 aid.

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The took the smallest hit, losing 4.42% from 2010-2011. Greenport will receive $1,124,391 from the state, which is a $51,961 loss. Greenport Superintendent Michael Comanda was in state aid next year and, in fact, projected a $196,669 decrease in state aid while he was working on the budget. Comanda said some of the unanticipated state aid will go into the repair/reserve fund and the rest will go to offset the tax rate.

What was more disheartening for Comanda was reviewing the numbers and realizing the state had cut back on some of the numbers in the current year’s state aid package.

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“The state readjusted some areas lower than what was originally promised for the 2010-2011 school year. We will just have to adjust,” Comanda said.

Across the harbor from Greenport, will receive $438,390 from the state in the 2011-2012 school year, down $37,411 or 7.86 % from the 2010-2011 projections.

The and will absorb larger dollar for dollar loses. Southold will now receive $1,566,428 from the state next year, which is a $191,395 or 10.89% loss. The Mattituck-Cutchogue School District will lose 10.88% from 2010-2011 state aid bringing the total state aid dollars to $2,590,343 or a $316,075 loss.

Mattituck-Cutchogue School District Superintendent James McKenna said that district will now receive That money will change the original proposed budget with increased revenue and fuel and oil costs. Costs for BOCES and special education services have decreased in the revised proposed budget due to more accurate numbers, McKenna added.

“We now have a better handle on those costs,” he said. “But things could change in January. We’ve always taken the position that we’re never going to everything they say we’re going to get.”

McKenna and members of the school board will meet to present the revised proposed 2011-12 budget on Tuesday at 7:30 in the high school auditorium.

Now that the districts have the final numbers from Albany, the school boards will be finalizing budgets to present to the public in the next few weeks. All North Fork School districts budget votes are on Tuesday, May 17.

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