School Board Presents Budget at Annual Hearing

The Glen Cove School Board presented its  at its yearly budget hearing Tuesday night at .

In compliance with the state's tax cap, the projected tax levy increase stands at 2 percent. If residents vote to pass the budget next week, the estimated increase for average residential tax payers will be $123 for the year, according to the board.

Resident Rick Smith noted that commercial properties are taxed at a higher rate. 

The board's budget, along with three of its seats, will go to a public vote on Tuesday, May 15.

If passed, the district will retain all of its current programs and services: eight-period schedules for the middle school and high school with full teams and comprehensive elective offerings, respectively. The district will also continue its visual arts program, which superintendent Joseph Laria commended at the meeting for its student-produced video on the budget.

Attendance was in the single digits for the hearing, and was noted as reflective of general voter apathy towards the educational system and budget process in Glen Cove. Trustee Ida McQuair noted that even the meeting's handful of attendees represented an increase from last year. 

Resident Allison Gasparelli also pointed out that not one of this year's challenging were present at the meeting.

"The apathy shown by the public towards this process is a sin," she said. "People always complain that their taxes are high, their kids aren't getting what they need, and look at tonight's turnout."

Board member David Huggins agreed, noting historically low voter turnout for last year's vote - 8 percent of the city's 16,000 registered voters.

Trustee Joel Sunshine pointed out that "nothing was to happen" at the meeting, a mandated presentation of the adopted budget.

Resident Rick Smith, who has in the past, shared that increased public participation would also raise awareness of the board's and administration's hard work.

After the meeting, Laria fielded a question about the recent groping of a freshman student in the high school. The student's mother told News 12 that school officials cited that the gap in response from security was due to budget cuts, which resulted in a lack of security manpower.

"[The school district] needs to revisit its budget," she said.

Laria responded that there had been no proposed budget cuts to the school's security force.