North Babylon previews $49.1M curriculum budget with new textbooks, courses and marching band uniform request

Doctor Graham presented the North Babylon Union Free School District’s proposed curriculum and instruction budget, which he said totals $49,123,182, at a board meeting and described key program investments and next steps.

“This evening, we're gonna have a budget presentation. That's the only agenda item,” Doctor Graham said as he introduced curriculum coordinators and business‑office staff who helped prepare the proposal. He listed major cost drivers as staffing and textbook replacement and outlined program and materials requests across grades and disciplines.

The presentation identified a planned K–6 math textbook adoption (Envision, publisher Savas) with an estimated $229,000 cost to cover textbooks, professional development and classroom manipulatives. Doctor Graham said the district is replacing the current series because vendor support for the older edition is ending and the new materials include updated online access and assessments.

The budget also proposes investments aimed at career and technical education and experiential learning: Doctor Graham cited enrollments of 94 students in robotics, 62 in transportation systems and 117 in car care, and described a proposed drone course that would prepare students for the FAA Part 107 exam. He said $43,000 is allocated to support robotics, drones, computer‑aided design and cosmetology supplies, supplementing equipment already purchased with other funding streams.

Fine and performing arts needs are included as well. The district proposes $109,000 for new marching band uniforms (current uniforms are about 20 years old) and roughly $30,000 for instrument purchases through a lease‑to‑own program; participation figures presented included 915 students in choral programs, 574 in orchestra and 443 in band.

Athletics spending would include about $675,000 for coaches and equipment requests such as $19,000 for wrestling practice mats, $12,000 for a baseball windscreen and $12,000 for a digital scores table. Doctor Graham said 600–700 students typically participate in interscholastic athletics across seasons.

Doctor Graham listed new high‑school course proposals — College Anatomy and Physiology; Current Events and Media Literacy; Digital Literacy II; Drone Technology; Intro to Cybersecurity; Long Island history; real estate; and Wall Street investments — and stressed that such offerings are enrollment‑dependent and reviewed by an internal advisory committee (CAC) before implementation.

Board members welcomed the presentation. “Great presentation, doctor Graham,” said Mister Myers, a board member, and other members praised the expansion of cosmetology, arts and career programs. Several board members asked for follow‑up detail: one requested a breakdown of adult‑education and summer‑school expenditures; another sought clarification about a modest reduction in the guidance line. Doctor Graham explained the guidance reduction reflects elimination of a director of guidance position and reassignment of responsibilities to assistant principals and offered to provide further expenditure details to the board.

On funding, Doctor Graham said recent state aid runs in February were somewhat more favorable than earlier estimates and that legislative contacts expect the final state budget to be better than initial proposals — though no specific increased aid figures had been confirmed. He said two additional UPK sections at MGB are being planned but remain dependent on the state funding mechanism and enrollment.

The board did not take any vote on the budget at the meeting; Doctor Graham outlined the calendar for final steps, telling the board that the next presentations are scheduled for March 19 (special education and personnel), the Board is scheduled to consider budget adoption on April 21, a public budget hearing is set for May 7, and the budget vote will occur May 19.

The presentation materials and additional budget details will be provided to the board and posted online prior to adoption discussions.