"Smart" Investments in North Merrick Schools

Attendees at Tuesday night's meeting of the North Merrick School District's Lay Budget Committee sat in a classroom at Fayette Elementary and saw firsthand exactly what a smart board can do.

Volunteers got up from their seats to work with one of the district's 21 smart boards, moving words around with their hands to create a sentence. Administrators and teachers showed videos and slides and demonstrated a math lesson and the use of Google Earth maps.

At the same time, they were showing residents exactly why the district has included a $50,000 expenditure in its $26.6 million budget draft for more smart boards next year.

"[The smart board] creates a more engaging environment," said Ali Bartone, the district's technology coach. "It's more interactive. It makes a great teaching tool and presenting tool."

The units cost between $3,600 and $3,700, not including installation. The district has been able to save on installation costs by training its own facilities crew to install the smart boards, saving approximately $300 per unit.

One parent of a Camp Avenue School student enjoyed testing out the smart board and said he supported the district's choice to invest in the technology.

"I think if you're not continuously investing in technology, other districts that are will put our students at a disadvantage," said the parent (who requested his name be withheld).

The majority of the district's smart boards were purchased through a grant from State Sen. Charles Fuschillo, with others coming through a special education grant and Scholastic book fair points.

The single largest line item in the budget's instructional component is teacher salaries, which will cost the district $8,821,000 in the 2010-2011 school year, an increase of 2.22 percent over the previous year.

Administrative salaries will increase as well, rising 3.4 percent to a combined $563,000 for the offices of superintendent, deputy superintendent, and their direct support.

The district's contributions to the state employees' retirement fund will increase by about 66 percent, near the $162,000 mark. The district's payments to the state teachers' retirement fund will increase by about 25 percent, to top the $1 million mark.

While the district's dental plan costs will be decreasing by about 7 percent, a savings of about $8,000, the district will see a 10 percent increase in health plan costs – an increase of over $206,000.

The district's anticipated expenses are also set to increase in response to new state mandates which the district – not the state – is expected to fund on its own.

North Merrick resident Ron Krisch said he has been pleasantly surprised by the district's budget proceedings so far, but is still concerned that there is the general assumption that budget will increase, as opposed to no increase or a decrease.

"We're in a historical pattern that we're looking for increases year after year," Krisch said. "There will be a point where the average taxpayer just won't be able to afford it anymore."