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If voters approve the $79,729,258 spending plan when polls open on Tuesday, May 19, the district will add personnel to help struggling learners, several new STEM programs and enter into a partnership with the College of New Rochelle.
At the latest budget presentation, Superintendent Walter Moran said that the budget for the upcoming academic year was focused on increasing STEM opportunities, providing support to students, reinforcing support services and infusing additional resources into the facilities and technology departments.
“We will be strengthening our computer science program at the high school by looking at the sequence of study to create a larger feeder program that will support our Advanced Placement computer science classes that started this year,” he said. “We’re also increasing STEM opportunities for our youngest students.”
The district is also planning on adding an online course pilot program for high school juniors that will allow them to pursue opportunities and studies that the district isn’t able to provide.
“We have contracted for 18 student seats for next year, and they will be able to pursue opportunities and courses we are not able to offer here in school,” Moran said. “Those subjects include architecture, engineering and things we can’t currently offer in our school.”
The budget represents a 1.69 percent tax levy increase, nearly half of last year’s figure. It calls for the addition of four assistant varsity coaches, a full-time psychologist and special education teacher at the high school. The district is also taking steps to introduce a National Music Honor Society.
Moran also announced a partnership with the College of New Rochelle, which will provide graduate students interested in a career in education the opportunity to serve as interns guiding students that need additional aid.
“Our district will be adding interns at each of our school buildings and they will be able to provide additional support for our students with specific needs,” he said. “The interns are not replacing any services we already provide, they are simply supplementing what we already do and they will be mentored by our teachers.”
There will be additional discussion regarding the budget at upcoming Board of Education meetings on Tuesday March 24, April 14, April 28 and May 5. Voters can head to the polls from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 19 at the Eastchester High School.
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