Mahopac Schools Slice $30,000 Out of Budget

The Mahopac Board of Education has adopted a $108.5 million budget that is $30,000 less than that presented to the community a week ago.

Meeting in special session Tuesday evening at the Lakeview Elementary School, trustees voted 7-0 to accept the recommendation from Superintendent Dr. Robert Reidy to adopt a fiscal spending plan instead of going through the expense of conducting a second referendum.

Dr. Reidy called it important to note that the "budget presented to the community was already $1.2 million below the contingent number. The original package presented was in actuality an austerity budget due to the struggling economy. We have now reduced the contingent budget a little further."

The original budget was rejected last week by a mere four votes, with less than 2,200 votes cast. School officials told the Courier more than 16,000 eligible voters exist in the Mahopac District which is Putnam's largest.

The Board of Education began its budget process last October with trustee Patricia Greenwood-O'Keefe chairing the Finance Committee. Dr. Reidy said "large numbers of residents attended those meetings, more than in the past. The public requested that we bring the expenditure in as low as possible, which is what we did. The board believed the budget was a good budget; that is why the defeat was such a bitter pill."

The $30,000 removed consists of non-contingent equipment. Officials stressed there would be no additional losses of jobs. The district cut 39 positions this year and has 18 additional positions slated for removal in the 2009- 2010 fiscal spending plan.