The Massapequa School Board passed the proposed 2012-13 Nassau BOCES Administrative Operations budget at a special board meeting held Tuesday morning.
The $28.4 million spending plan, which is actually 0.5 percent lower than the $28.5 million approved last year received the support of the school board members present. Board members Gary Bennett and Tim Taylor were not at the meeting.
The BOCES budget is voted on by all of the 56 school districts in the county. The results of the county-wide vote were not immediately known.
The smaller BOCES budget likely has to do with the difficult financial situation faced by several school districts, according to Massapequa Superintendent Charles Sulc.
"What Boces did this year, in recognition of the concerns of virtually every school district in Nassau County, as well as the state was to make a very concerted effort to try and reduce costs," he said.
Deputy Superintendent Alan Adcock said that BOCES kept costs in line even though they're not subject to the state tax law. Adcock said BOCES is "not a taxing entity."
The Board also voted in favor of three incumbent BOCES board members, Susan Bergtraum, Martin Kaye, and Michael Weinick for re-election, and also approved of a plan to set up a reserve fund for BOCES' Barry Tech program.
Barry Tech, which gives hands on experience to high school students in the area they wish to study or be employed in has been expanding in recent years, according to Sulc.
Because of their emphasis in science and techonology, the Superintendent said Barry Tech needs to save funds to modernize.
The Board will meet to approve the district's budget Thursday night.
