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Revised Bedford School Budget Keeps Elementary Librarians

BEDFORD, N.Y. – The Bedford Central School District unveiled an updated look at its 2013-14 budget, which now includes four elementary librarians who initially had been slated to be cut.

Superintendent Jere Hochman presents the latest look at the 2013-14 budget in Wednesday night’s school board meeting, which more than 60 employees, parents and students attended.

Superintendent Jere Hochman presents the latest look at the 2013-14 budget in Wednesday night’s school board meeting, which more than 60 employees, parents and students attended.

Photo Credit: Michael Nocella

Though next year's budget would still eliminate 21.5 net teaching and staff positions, it also promises to keep all of its academic programs with one exception: ACES.

Superintendent Jere Hochman presented the revised 2013-14 budget in Wednesday night’s school board meeting, where more than 60 employees, parents and students came out to vouch for teachers and programs that could be cut in next year.

The decision to keep the district’s elementary school librarians came two weeks after all BCSD librarians pleaded with the district at a school board meeting to “not close the book” on them.

“We are very happy, especially for the kids of the school district,” said Fox Lane High School and Middle School Library Media Specialist Nancy Brown. “Pedagogically, this is the right decision. We teach our district's children how to be productive in their research for all of their studies.”

Although the district’s latest budget of $124,853,000 is more than $600,000 more than the one initially proposed, it affects taxpayers just the same, as it still carries an estimated state tax levy cap of 3.37 percent. The new-found money comes from $500,000 in “ERS reserve to assign” and receiving $100,000 more in state aid than previously expected.

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