Glen Cove School Budget Handled 'Smoothly and Efficiently'

Glenn Howard is a Glen Cove resident.

[On April 11] The Glen Cove Board of Education, with no fanfare and before over 100 members of the community, voted to approve the budget for the 2011 to 2012 year. Unlike past years, there were only a couple of questions and concerns raised by Board members and the audience.

The fact that this budget was handled so smoothly and efficiently is a credit to the School Administration and to the Board of Education, both of whom spent hours, days and weeks working out the details and the adjustments that would minimize the impact to both the educational system and the property taxes. 

As any member of the community who has watched the process knows, the Board and the Administration met two and three times a week, in fully public meetings, since the beginning of the year to address the severe economic issues both in our area and due to the huge State deficit which nearly totally eliminated funding for many school programs.

While in the past few years, the Board and Administration have had to make hard decisions, this is the first time that I have seen a real solid no-holds-barred time-spent-is-no-object dedicated approach by the Glen Cove System. 

In addition, when the budget was proposed to the public over the past weeks, there was no time wasted comparing Glen Cove to other districts as justification for keeping or excluding line items, something that to me was a waste of time and misleading at best. Instead, the focus was set on Glen Cove and what could be done to enhance and improve the system while only cutting where absolutely possible. Granted, for some items there was little choice, but a balance was struck. However, all items of issue were explained at the meetings.

For now, the well-rounded educational program – though a bit more stringent with students and parents having to make choices (as in real life) – was maintained. Essential courses, electives, sports, clubs and so on, all part of the well rounded educational process, are still there.

I would say that the Board of Education and the Administration are to be congratulated because they have both finally begun to act in an efficient business manner and for the betterment of Glen Cove.  

As part of its  Patch will feature local opinions on the subject. Interested in having your voice heard? Contact Glen Cove Patch editor Charleen Famiglietti at Charleen.Famiglietti@patch.com.