Herricks Residents Share Concerns Over Proposed Budget Cuts

The Herricks board of education is beginning to debate which areas can be cut for the 2012-2013 budget and the community members let their concerns be heard loud and clear at the three-hour meeting Thursday night at the .

One of the main concerns was the suggestion of eliminating kindergarten all together, which almost everyone in the audience disagreed with. One parent started the discussion by saying that eliminating kindergarten would have no benefit to the children and that if Herricks is one of the top districts, why would the board do something to change that.

Preisdent Christine Turner informed that public that whether she agrees with the suggestion or not, “I don’t know if you know, but kindergarten is one of the only programs that’s not mandated by the state, so technically speaking it’s not like first grade, second grade or third grade that a school district has to provide.”

John Bono, a parent of four in the district, asked how many schools on Long Island don’t offer kindergarten at all, which the board answered probably none or not many.

“I would think then eliminating kindergarten shouldn’t even be on the sheet,” Bono said. “When compared to other school districts on Long island, no one doesn’t offer kindergarten; therefore we would be lowering out standards.”

Trustee James Gounaris later said, “I personally don’t think eliminating kindergarten is the answer to any question,” to which the audience clapped. “It’s all going to change this year and there’s just no two ways about it, so the question that we have to ask is, ‘From where are we going to make these changes with the least amount of effect for these kids?’”

Tess Fiorentino, who has been in the district for 62 years, said, “As far as kindergarten is concerned…at one time I was against it, but I have a little great-grandson who is five-years-old and he started kindergarten and it is a joy to see him when he comes home from school what he has learned.”

Fiorentino then said she would be for cutting the days to six, seven or eight periods because some students take the nine periods and don’t have lunch. This caused a stir in the audience because many parents of kids in the district don’t want to limit their child’s education.

“I know these are proposals and we don’t know what’s going to happen at the end of the day, but…we want to keep the school the same and there is a reason why our kids go to this system,” said Reena Gulati, a parent in the district. “I understand that kindergarten is just as important, Gemini is just as important, but ultimately cutting back in high school and affecting it so tremendously so that when it effects where my kids can eventually get a quality education is devastating to me as a parent.”

Superintendent Dr. Bierwirth responded to Gulati saying, “Right now we don’t place a limit on the number of courses that the students want to select. Obviously if we limit the number of courses that students could select, there would be significant savings potentially in staff because we wouldn’t need to have them for those classes.”

Last year the board cut a total of 63 positions and could be looking at cutting roughly 35 more this year depending on what is decided down the road.  

Another big issue that Gulati and other parents brought up was the topic of teacher’s salaries.

“We are trying to cut down what is there, but New York State has been able to negotiate with the Union; they have been able to freeze the salary for the next few years, so why are we not talking about [cutting the salaries] with all due respect to the teachers?” asked Sandip Sheth.

Turner responded, “To be honest with you, we have been talking with our teachers and…that is something that everyone sitting on their board is interested in pursuing, but the fact is that people have a contract, and if people have a contract, they are under no obligation — whether if you want it, everyone in this room wants it or the whole community wants it — they have a contract in place and they don’t have to open that contract up.”   

The audience was shocked to learn that last year not one teacher gave up concessions, but around $278,000 was saved from the other people who did give up something.

“In the health care industry we have contracts, however there have been many health care systems who have taken a pay freeze and reason being if we don’t, what are we going to hurt, are we going to hurt our patients?” said parent  of four Angela Osieczkowski. “In this respect it’s our children, we’re going to end up hurting our children.”

After hearing many of the concerns, the board plans to take everything to account and bring a draft budget back to the public at their January meeting.

“This is the meeting that the board gives me guidance, and I think what they’re going to say is spread the cuts out, keep everything and be creative; now that isn’t going to work,” Bierwith said. “Whatever guidance the board gives us we will try to figure out how to squeeze the maximum savings out with the minimum impact on kids."

The next regular board meeting will be on Nov. 17 at 7:15 p.m. at the Community Center.