Mamaroneck Union Free School District Budget Hearing Tuesday

MAMARONECK, NY — The final public hearing on the proposed 2021-22 budget for the Mamaroneck Union Free School District will be held at 7pm on May 4.

The virtual meeting will detail the spending plan for the upcoming school year. The proposed budget is $144,941,319, with a 1.63 percent increase over the 2020-21 spending package.

“While facing ongoing challenges as a result of COVID-19, our school community has adapted, innovated and emerged stronger,” Superintendent Dr. Robert I. Shaps said in a statement outlining the spending plan. “Assessing students and meeting their academic and social-emotional needs is key. We have seen a shift in our practice - optimizing the use of technology to expand and enhance teaching and learning. We continue to keep our eyes on all of our students, while prioritizing our most vulnerable learners, and remain committed as a system to continuous improvement.”

School officials said the tax levy will increase by 1.99% percent if the budget is approved by voters later this month. The district says the increase is among the lowest in the region. The annual increase in property taxes will amount to an average of $316 per homeowner.

Among other line items, the proposed budget includes new funds for:

• Expansion of Dos Caminos Dual Language Program to 8th grade
• A New Hommocks School World Drumming course
• A Family Academy for before and after-school family counseling
• New AP Music Theory class at Mamaroneck High School
• Sustainability initiatives with Greenburgh Nature Center (Love Your Food grant)
• Nature education in partnership with Sheldrake Environmental Center
• Increased opportunities for entry-level instrumental instruction
• Additional in-school music instruction opportunities that traditionally take place privately

Three board of education seats for three-year terms are also on the ballot.

The annual budget vote will be from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 18. You can vote at your local elementary school. However, due to construction, the Chatsworth Avenue School polling location will be moved across the street to the Larchmont Avenue Church.