The Sagaponack School’s proposed $1.89-million spending plan for the 2023-24 school year “is a pretty straightforward, easy budget,” the district superintendent, Jay Finello, said this week. “It’s very close to this year’s, with a modest increase, without any major changes at all.”
After two years of over-the-tax-cap budgets, Sagaponack’s tax-levy increase will stay within the state-imposed cap of 2.99 percent. The year-over-year spending increase is $17,813.
Notable in the program budget is the addition of an in-house prekindergarten program, which Mr. Finello said can be accommodated using existing staff plus a modest increase in hours for a part-time teaching assistant.
“We’ve been making arrangements and developing the curriculum,” he said. “The goal for us is to provide a good and healthy prekindergarten program to have our students ready for the kindergarten experience and beyond.”
Also in the budget is money for new math curriculum materials. In total the program part of the budget — including classroom supplies, teacher salaries, textbooks, and field trips — represents 75 percent of it. Administrative spending makes up about 21 percent, and the remaining sliver of the budget is for capital expenses including maintenance and utilities.
A budget hearing will take place on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Voting is on May 16 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Little Red Schoolhouse on Sagg Main Street.