BOE: School Taxes Could Go Up as Much as $400

District officials said that as the 2011-12 budget stands, the average homeowner's school taxes could go up by an estimated $400 with a tax levy projected at 5.49 percent. That number is dependent on whether the district gets a portion of its state aid restored. If it does, the tax levy would be lower.

Assistant superintendent of finance, Robert Bartells, said that budget figures won't be finalized until the district receives more information from Nassau County, including the adjusted base proportions. Those numbers could come in as late as May.

He added that the tax levy increase is a worst case scenario, and could be different once final numbers, including state aid, are received. The budget increase — 2.41 percent — is the second lowest budget to budget increase in 19 years, Bartells said.

For more information on the 2011-12 budget, .

Star Lab

Earth Science teacher Matt Greenberg conducted a presentation on the district's Star Lab, a portable planetarium that the district purchased through a $15,000 grant from the RVC Education Foundation. Greenberg wrote the grant that brought the lab to the district. The portable planetarium can be utilized at all seven district schools and used to teach a variety of subjects for all learners.

For more on the Star Lab and how it works, .

New York State Report Card

Chris Pellettieri, assistant superintendent for curriculum, conducted a presentation on the 2009-10 New York State Report Card for the district, which showed that RVC is graduating its students at an astounding rate — one of the highest in the state. For a look at the full report, .

Facility Upgrades

Bartells also detailed the facility upgrades occurring in the district — $3.1 million in infrastructure repairs that are done at no cost to the taxpayers. One of the district's largest upgrades, an energy performance initiative, is set to begin in early 2012 at the latest. For a look at the energy performance contract and how it will help the district,