By Stephanie Mariel Petrellese

The Garden City Board of Education officially adopted a budget totaling $94,505,801 at their April 16th meeting. This is a budget to budget increase of 4.49 percent.

Residents will face a tax levy increase of 4.48 percent. The "average" home, which is one assessed at $2,310, will see an increase in taxes of approximately $374.05.

To determine your exact tax increase, visit the district's Web site, www.gardencity.k12.ny.us and click on the link "Property Tax Calculator for 2008-2009." Through this site, residents can access Nassau County Dept. of Assessment's Web site, where they can type in their tax lot information and find out how much their taxes will increase. The amount will not reflect STAR program discounts.

A public hearing on the budget will be held on Monday, May 12. Garden City residents will be able to vote on the budget on Tuesday, May 20.

Angela Heineman, president of the Garden City's Parent Teacher Association, read a statement supporting the budget. The PTA Executive Committee thoroughly examined the budget, attended School Board budget meetings and met with Superintendent Dr. Robert Feirsen, administrators, school principals and par-ents.

"Overall, the PTA Executive Committee is satisfied that the proposed budget of $94.5 million for 2008-09 will adequately provide for the programs, initiatives and district goals outlined for the upcoming school year," Heineman said. "Considering the current economic conditions and forecasts for our region, the impact of increased costs fueled by federal and state 'unfunded mandates,' and the desire for continuous program improvement and fairness for all our students, we believe that the 4.49 percent budget-to-budget in-crease, or $4.064 million, is reasonable."

Tina Halvatzis, president of Garden City's Special Education Parent Teacher Association, also offered her group's budgetary support.

However, both PTA and SEPTA are concerned with the condition of several buildings in the district, specifically the high school. Halvatzis would like to see changes made to special education spaces. There are many legal space requirements special education rooms must meet. The district will also be receiving a visit from Middle States during the next school year to check if recommendations they made in 2005 were completed. "The rehabilitation of the Special Education spaces must focus on creating areas that are without distraction, and are well-lit and well-ventilated," she said. Privacy is also a concern, and spaces for confidential consultations must be designated.

Heineman said certain problems require immediate attention at the high school, such as the roof, which causes repeated water damage to inner walls and ceilings, and lighting and ventilation in special education rooms. "The PTA Executive Committee believes that the district is fast approaching a point where the condition of certain buildings, the high school in particular, coupled with changes in the distribution of our student population, will hinder the district's ability to meet its own goals for continued improvement of our programs and impair its ability to deliver quality programs and services to all of our students," she said.

School Board President Kenneth Monaghan said the Board and administration are aware of the space issues and will focus on ways to address some of the more pressing problems over the summer. He announced that the ad-hoc committee, which will help decide what improvements the bond should cover and how much additional space is required given instructional program needs, had their first meeting on April 14th. Monaghan hopes the committee will also help the Board prioritize items that can be accomplished on a more immediate basis through the regular operating budget, as opposed to a bond.

They will also look at the overall infrastructure, including heating plants and roofing systems, and determine if the district should install more environmentally friendly initiatives, such as state-of-the-art geothermal heating and cooling systems. The committee will have no legal authority, and will solely offer advice to the Board after thorough review of the entire issue. They will also be responsible for reaching out to the public to explain what and why improvements are needed based on their research.

Monaghan said they should have a report to the Board by September and a final report ready by December.