Budget Discussed at East Meadow BOE Meeting

At this month’s meeting of the East Meadow Board of Education, the big topic was dollars and cents- namely the gradual formation of the district’s 2013-2014 budget.

During his superintendent’s report, Louis DeAngelo informed the gathered parents in the audience that he and his administration were taking the creation of the budget for the upcoming school year very seriously, despite the various financial hurdles they will have to overcome.

“You will be receiving the proposed budget for 2013-2014 on Friday, Feb. 1,” he said. “We in central administration have thoroughly reviewed each item, line by line, in order to be sure that we put forth a budget for the community that preserves our programs and staffing, hopefully in their entirety, and yet still meets the state-imposed mandated cap on the tax levy for revenues.”

DeAngelo also mentioned that East Meadow residents will be able to take an active hand in shaping the budget in the form of an upcoming public input meeting.

“The meeting is on March 7 2013,” he said. “It is the time where we invite the community to voice any questions or concerns regarding our planning for the 2013-2014 school year. The proposed budget will not be finalized until after that meeting.”

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“We have so much to be proud of in our district,” DeAngelo added. “And while we have a strong financial base, we really must prevail in determining the utilization of our financial resources moving forward during these extremely difficult financial times.”

Instructional presentations also took place at the meeting, the first one outlining the modernization of the library at Clarke Middle School, transforming into a full-fledged media center to meet the evolving digital needs of 21st century students, including integrating the state-mandated Common Core standards into library curriculum.

Mary O’Hara, a library specialist at Clarke, said that the library won't be a typical one.

“To help today’s learners we have to meet them at their level and speak their tech language,” she said. “We are utilizing interactive technology and web applications to enhance the learning experience.”

The next presentation involved the Virtual Enterprises Program at which enables students to get real-time, hands-on experience in the business world, thanks to corporate sponsorship and interaction with other similar programs throughout Long Island.

The next meeting of the East Meadow Board of Education is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m.