Schools

Seaford Moving Forward With Eight Period Day at Middle School

Board of education indicates support for reduction to help district plug $1.2 million shortfall during its Thursday night meeting.

The Seaford Board of Education is moving forward with plans for an eight period day at Seaford Middle School for next year in an effort to plug a $1.2 million shortfall the district is facing for its 2013/14 budget.

Seaford Superintendent of Schools Brian Conboy said during Thursday night's board meeting that reducing to an eight period middle school day will save $962,378 and cover nearly the entire $1.2 million gap the district is facing in order to comply with new tax cap rules. The five Seaford school board trustees agreed with the plan to move to eight periods at the middle school during their meeting Thursday night, but will not officially adopt a budget proposal until this Wednesday. 

"This is not an easy process," said Seaford Board of Education President Brian Fagan of the task of cutting more than $1 million to reach the maximum allowable tax levy increase of 3.59 percent. "There are many unfunded mandates that we are required to pay for."

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Another possible cut that had been discussed prior to Thursday night's meeting was reducing to a half-day kindergarten program, but Conboy said he and his administrative team have recommended not moving in that direction because of a belief that the program is too valuable.

Seaford Middle School Principal Daniel Smith outlined during Thursday night's meeting how an eight period day would work and said it would be designed to meet the needs of mandated core subjects with instructional time increased six minutes a class. He said programs like band and academic intervention services could also be offered before or after school if they can not be met in the regular schedule. 

"We want to make the best eight period day that we can," Smith said.  Other districts that currently have eight period days at their middle schools include Glen Cove, Mineola and Plainview-Old Bethpage with others also considering the move for next year due to the challenges of losing state aid in an economy still rebounding from the 2008 downturn.

In an attempt to avoid cutting from a nine period day, Fagan said the school board approached the United Teachers of Seaford (UTS) and asked if the union would be willing to accept a pay freeze for the 2013/14 school year once their contract expires in June, but that the offer was rejected. Fagan said the offer of the pay freeze would have saved the district around $900,000 and preserved all full-time teaching positions. 

UTS Vice President Maria Dudutis said during the public comments portion of Thursday's meeting that her union did counter offer with a proposal that would have involved a pay freeze but that the board chose to not accept it. Fagan responded by saying that the UTS counter proposal was not feasible since it involved items like payments for meetings spent out of district that would cost the district too much money in the long-term. 

Wedneaday night's meeting where the school board plans to adopt its proposed 2013/14 spending plan is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. at Seaford Manor School. A budget hearing is planned for May 9 at Seaford High School at 7:30 p.m. with the vote taking place May 21. 


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