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Westhampton Beach News - Westhampton Beach School Board Adopts Budget, Restores Funding For Sign Language Class - 27east
Parents and students came out in large numbers last week to plead with the Westhampton Beach Board of Education to spare their beloved American Sign Language program at Westhampton Beach High School, one of several cuts on the chopping block as part of the district’s budget review process.
On Monday night, their pleas were answered when the School Board unanimously adopted the district’s $50.3 million 2011-12 budget, a version that included some $63,000 in funding to keep the sign language program running through the next school year—as long as taxpayers sign off on the proposed spending plan in May.
“She’s taught me so much about deaf culture, about the importance of sign language,” said high school junior Christi-Marie Williamson, 16, of East Quogue, about her teacher, Linnae Janky, who is deaf and whose position with the district was in jeopardy up until Monday night’s vote.
“It’s a relief,” added Donna L. Prill of East Quogue whose daughter, Carolyn Prill, 16, takes the same class. “As a parent, it’s important that make sure that we protect a learning experience that our kids can have learning from a class.”
Even though Ms. Janky’s position was spared, the approved spending plan still eliminates 11 positions in the district, include two teaching posts in which the educators retired. Board members also cut two part-time teachers—a middle school study skills teacher and the elementary school orchestra teacher—three full-time teacher aides, one monitor, one part-time clerk, a full-time security guard and a part-time nurse.
The adopted budget increases overall spending by 2.84 percent, or $ 1.4 million, from the current $48.9 million budget. The tax rate will increase next year by 3.38 percent, from $5.57 per $1,000 of assessed valuation to $5.75 per $1,000, according to district officials. Therefore, a taxpayer whose home is assessed at $600,000 will pay approximately $3,450 in school property taxes next year, or $108 more than this year.
Two key agreements signed on Monday—including one that is expected to save the district $200,000 next year—helped the board avoid additional cuts.
As part of the first agreement, members of the Westhampton Beach Teachers Association agreed to give back 1 percent of their combined salaries—including salaries for teachers and coaches—to the district for the 2011-12 school year, according to Westhampton Beach Schools Superintendent Lynn Schwartz. He said the two sides met at a half-dozen times over the past few months before finalizing the accord.
School Board members also approved an agreement with the district’s supervisory unit. Under that plan, each of the district’s 12 administrators agreed to give back $1,000 of their respective salaries, so the money could be used to pay down the cost of health insurance next year. The move will save the district $12,000.
School Board President Aram Terchunian praised teachers and administrators for agreeing to the moves. “It’s a remarkable and wonderful thing,” he said.
“This budget certainly allows us to continue all of our programs that make good sense to us,” Mr. Schwartz said.
On Monday, Mr. Terchunian commended those students in attendance, who petitioned the board a week earlier, for their efforts to save Ms. Janky’s job. He said they “spoke very passionately” about their cause. In addition to making please to board members, students and parents made posters and launched a Facebook campaign to save her job and the course.
“It’s been so inspirational having a deaf teacher,” said high school junior Carolyn Prill, who has been taking the class since her sophomore year. “She’s really changed the way a lot of people who take the course view deaf people, showing us that there is a whole culture that deaf people have.”
“It’s been really cool experience learning with her,” added Emilie Schmelzer, 17, a junior from East Quogue also in her second year taking the sign language course.
The students were not the only ones who were excited.
“There is a value beyond the classroom,” said East Quogue’s Laura Schmelzer, Emilie’s mother. “We had children who were inspired to go down career paths and take sign language in college because of this class. We couldn’t give that up.”
Parents and students came out in large numbers last week to plead with the Westhampton Beach Board of Education to spare their beloved American Sign Language program at Westhampton Beach High School, one of several cuts on the chopping block as part of the district’s budget review process.
On Monday night, their pleas were answered when the School Board unanimously adopted the district’s $50.3 million 2011-12 budget, a version that included some $63,000 in funding to keep the sign language program running through the next school year—as long as taxpayers sign off on the proposed spending plan in May.
“She’s taught me so much about deaf culture, about the importance of sign language,” said high school junior Christi-Marie Williamson, 16, of East Quogue, about her teacher, Linnae Janky, who is deaf and whose position with the district was in jeopardy up until Monday night’s vote.
“It’s a relief,” added Donna L. Prill of East Quogue whose daughter, Carolyn Prill, 16, takes the same class. “As a parent, it’s important that make sure that we protect a learning experience that our kids can have learning from a class.”
Even though Ms. Janky’s position was spared, the approved spending plan still eliminates 11 positions in the district, include two teaching posts in which the educators retired. Board members also cut two part-time teachers—a middle school study skills teacher and the elementary school orchestra teacher—three full-time teacher aides, one monitor, one part-time clerk, a full-time security guard and a part-time nurse.
The adopted budget increases overall spending by 2.84 percent, or $ 1.4 million, from the current $48.9 million budget. The tax rate will increase next year by 3.38 percent, from $5.57 per $1,000 of assessed valuation to $5.75 per $1,000, according to district officials. Therefore, a taxpayer whose home is assessed at $600,000 will pay approximately $3,450 in school property taxes next year, or $108 more than this year.
Two key agreements signed on Monday—including one that is expected to save the district $200,000 next year—helped the board avoid additional cuts.
As part of the first agreement, members of the Westhampton Beach Teachers Association agreed to give back 1 percent of their combined salaries—including salaries for teachers and coaches—to the district for the 2011-12 school year, according to Westhampton Beach Schools Superintendent Lynn Schwartz. He said the two sides met at a half-dozen times over the past few months before finalizing the accord.
School Board members also approved an agreement with the district’s supervisory unit. Under that plan, each of the district’s 12 administrators agreed to give back $1,000 of their respective salaries, so the money could be used to pay down the cost of health insurance next year. The move will save the district $12,000.
School Board President Aram Terchunian praised teachers and administrators for agreeing to the moves. “It’s a remarkable and wonderful thing,” he said.
“This budget certainly allows us to continue all of our programs that make good sense to us,” Mr. Schwartz said.
On Monday, Mr. Terchunian commended those students in attendance, who petitioned the board a week earlier, for their efforts to save Ms. Janky’s job. He said they “spoke very passionately” about their cause. In addition to making please to board members, students and parents made posters and launched a Facebook campaign to save her job and the course.
“It’s been so inspirational having a deaf teacher,” said high school junior Carolyn Prill, who has been taking the class since her sophomore year. “She’s really changed the way a lot of people who take the course view deaf people, showing us that there is a whole culture that deaf people have.”
“It’s been really cool experience learning with her,” added Emilie Schmelzer, 17, a junior from East Quogue also in her second year taking the sign language course.
The students were not the only ones who were excited.
“There is a value beyond the classroom,” said East Quogue’s Laura Schmelzer, Emilie’s mother. “We had children who were inspired to go down career paths and take sign language in college because of this class. We couldn’t give that up.”