Seaford Superintendent: Contingency Budget Would Force 'Drastic Decisions'

If the Seaford School District is unable to pass a budget this spring, administrators and the board of education will be tasked with making “drastic decisions." 

Seaford Superintendent of Schools Brian Conboy said during a budget hearing held Thursday night that being forced to a contingency budget for the 2013/14 school year would result in $1.6 million being cut from the current $60.4 million spending plan. Under a contingency budget, which would result if Seaford’s budget proposal is rejected by voters on May 21 followed by a failed revote of second spending plan on June 18, the district would need to cap its tax levy at 0 percent. A contingency budget, which prohibits spending on capital projects, computer equipment and student supplies, last occurred in Seaford during the 2011/12 school year.

“The [$1.6 million] in cuts would require some drastic decisions by the administration and the board,” said Conboy during Thursday’s budget hearing attended by a sparse crowd in the Seaford High School Auditorium.

Seaford entered the 2013/13 budget process faced with plugging a $2.3 million shortfall caused by being limited to a 3.59 percent tax levy increase and having a 2 percent drop in state aid. The original budget proposal adopted April 18 included slashing 8.8 full-time equivalent teaching positions at Seaford Middle School and reducing to an eight period day. However, these cuts were placed back in the budget after the board of education was able to strike an agreement with the United Teachers of Seaford to have the union take a pay freeze for one year.

An additional budget presentation is scheduled for May 14 in the Seaford Firehouse starting at 7:30 p.m. Voting on Seaford's 2013/14 budget plan will take place on May 21 at Seaford Manor School and Seaford Harbor School from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.