Board Restores One Guidance Job in Budget

Just moments after starting its meeting on Monday, the Glen Cove Board of Education announced that its adopted $70.3 million budget for 2010-11 will now call for the elimination of one guidance counselor position instead of two. 

The proposed spending plan now includes eliminating 10 teaching positions, one teaching assistant and three administrator/supervisors and other cuts, as a way to save $2.7 million next year. 

"The board met this evening to talk about personnel matters and ask me to share with you that we are removing from budget cuts one position of guidance counselor," Superintendent Dr. Laurence Aronstein said to more than 70 people at Robert M. Finley Middle School.

The news comes on the heels of a contentious school board meeting on April 21, where several residents criticized the board for approving certain budget cuts for next year, especially in the Guidance Department. Since the administration began budget presentations in February, the heated debates about staff reductions have been a pressing issue in the district.

Aronstein explained that the money for restoring the counselor next year will come from a personnel vacancy, which he noted, usually enables the district to replace the person leaving with someone at a lower salary. The new expenditure in the budget, school officials said, will not affect the budget total. 

"Every single year without fail, there are unforeseen things, particularly in terms of personnel, that occur," Aronstein said. "What that means is that there are people who leave the school district ... and we have a vacancy and this happens every year."

The budget will be up for a vote on May 18. To view the adopted budget, visit the district's Web site.

Patch's school board election coverage is coming soon.