Spring 2009

Laura Werner, President
Editors: Brenda Lentsch
& Valerie Zaverdas

Dear Friends and Families of Commack PTA, 

Spring is here, and so is the season of year-end festivities including spring concerts, field days, staff appreciations, award ceremonies, moving up ceremonies, and finally, graduation. I want to thank all of the parents and supporters of all of the Commack PTAs for a great year. 

As always, communication and participation are the key components of a successful PTA and an enriched school experience for our children. With that in mind, community input was a critical factor at the series of Budget Committee meetings throughout this year as the PTA and Administration worked together to address the difficult state of the economy, and what measures our Commack schools would have to take to reduce spending, while maintaining the level of superior instruction and program we all expect. As the community has faced loss of, or decreases in income, decreased value of pensions and savings and loss of benefits, the Commack schools has faced cuts in State Aid, which significantly affects budget planning.  Just as we at home have been faced with the challenge of making tough decisions and adjustments in our daily lives to curb our spending, our Commack school district has faced the same reality of tough decisions. To reduce costs, the Superintendent, Dr. Feltman, led the way by freezing his own salary, and the District Clerk, District Treasurer, Operations Facilitator, District Counsel, Central Office Administrators, and Council of Administrators and Supervisors Associations, as well as vendors and consultants, have all chosen to become part of the effort to curb spending and save jobs during these difficult economic times. Even with that effort and cuts in spending across the board, there will be jobs lost. While we never want to see teachers excessed, remember the times we are in have dictated these difficult decisions. Class sizes in grades k-3 will remain the same (under or up to 25), while class size in grades 4 and 5 will not exceed the contractual limit of 29. 

PTA advocates for children (Every Child, One Voice), and part of that commitment is to promote budget awareness through our active involvement and seeking community input, to disseminate information, and to support and pass sound budgets. 

PTA has diligently expressed the concerns of the community at the Budget Committee meetings and at the Public Budget workshops. We are confident that the district has presented a budget with the lowest increase in spending possible at 1.54%, while preserving instruction and program. We have voted unanimously to support this Budget and on May 19, I encourage you to do the same. 

I also ask you to keep in mind the grave impact a failed budget will have on the community. A contingency budget will not help alleviate the tax burden as the savings to taxpayers only amounts to pennies a month. Rather than saving, the costs to the community will be even more as a contingency budget will have a great impact on community groups’ use of our school buildings, including continuing education and community youth athletics. As prescribed by law, there will be significant charges imposed for use of buildings, and all buildings will be closed to the public on Sundays.  

For more information, I refer you to the Commack District Web site. Click on the Budget button on the left, and read the Budget Edition of The Commack Courier. I encourage you to attend the Public Budget Hearing on May 7, 2009, 8:30 p.m. at Burr Intermediate School on Burr Road. 

Sincerely,

Laura Werner
Commack PTA Council President 

P.S. I am always eager to answer questions and hear your concerns.

        Email me at lawerner74@optonline.net or phone 631-404-2731.

"Working Together... 
Coming together is a beginning,
Keeping together is progress,
Working together is success."

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