Riverhead School District

More Riverhead students looking for vocational training in 2014-15

Riverhead School District Superintendent Nancy Carney, center, at Tuesday night's school board meeting. (Credit: Jennifer Gustavson)
Riverhead School District Superintendent Nancy Carney, center, at Tuesday night’s school board meeting. (Credit: Jennifer Gustavson)

Riverhead School District Superintendent Nancy Carney expects the district’s budget for vocational training will increase during the 2014-15 school year because more students have expressed an interest in the program.

During Tuesday night’s regular school board meeting, Ms. Carney estimated the district’s career and technology education spending plan will increase by 4 percent, totaling about $1.34 million, since additional students plan to study careers like cosmetology, automotive repair, veterinary technician and audio projection.

As for the district’s special education, guidance and pupil personnel service expenses, Ms. Carney estimates the budget will increase by about 2.4 percent, totalling nearly $19.45 million. Most of the increase is contractual, as well as an additional salary for a new psychologist, she said.

Ms. Carney said the district’s extracurricular activities and interscholastic athletics will be maintained next school year and estimates those expenses will increase by 0.25 percent, totaling about $1.36 million.

Tuesday marked Ms. Carney’s third budget presentation outlining her proposed spending plan.

During the Feb. 25 school board meeting, Ms. Carney said most of the district’s budget will go toward general classroom teaching, instruction and support. She estimated those expenditures will total $38.4 million in 2014-15. That’s a nearly a 3.23 percent increase over the current school year, she said.

At the Feb. 11 school board meeting, Ms. Carney said the district’s first debt service payment for the 2011 voter-approved capital improvement bond is due and is expected to increase the 2014-15 budget by about $2.8 million. She also said the district is anticipating additional state aid. In January, Gov. Andrew Cuomo released his proposed budget that included a total of about $21.37 million in state aid for Riverhead, a nearly 6.92 percent increase compared to the current school year.

The superintendent is expected to give another budget presentation at the March 25 meeting to discuss revenues and the projected tax levy.

The school board is also scheduled to discuss a new property tax exemption program for veterans at its next meeting.

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