Kings Park works toward advocacy

The Kings Park Board of Education is following through on one of its top goals this year.

The board adopted its top goals for the coming school year back on Sept. 9, one of which was engaging the community and its legislators in productive ways to ensure support of district efforts. Administrators took the first step in making that possible this week when it adopted an advocacy resolution at a Feb. 9 budget workshop.

Under the leadership of school board President Pam DeFord, the Board of Education officially launched a legislative committee back on Jan. 5 comprised of 14 members. The committee included two board members, five district employees and seven community residents.

The committee held its first meeting on Feb. 2 and drafted a resolution that was adopted later that week. The resolution argued that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s imposing of the tax cap law back in 2011 has “drastically reduced local control of the school district budgeting process.”

At its budget workshop on Feb. 9, Superintendent Timothy Eagen indicated that with a full gap elimination adjustment restoration this year, the budget gap is only $305,107. He also indicated that with a few employee retirements, the gap might be further reduced.

“Kings Park is fortunate in that we have very responsive and hard-working state elected officials who are working tirelessly to ensure that the GEA is fully restored this year,” Eagen said. “Kings Park needs a full GEA restoration and a little additional help to avoid program cuts for the 2016-2017 school year,” he added.