The Miller Place Board of Education on Wednesday adopted a $64.3 million budget for the 2011-12 school year that includes 23 teaching positions and a number of programs restored from the cuts superintendent Susan Hodun had proposed in an earlier draft of her budget.

The budget, unanimously approved by the board, carries a 3.8 percent spending increase and will raise the tax levy nearly 3.9 percent. Nearly $40 million would be raised from taxes.

Earlier drafts of the budget included 35 teacher layoffs and the elimination of 58 percent of co-curricular programs. School officials said concession agreements with the district’s administrator and teacher unions, also approved by the board Wednesday, made possible the restoration of teaching positions and programs.

UNION CONCESSIONS

Teachers, who currently pay 15 percent of their health benefits, will now contribute an additional $2,750 each to the plan. Teachers’ contracts, which were set to expire at the end of next school year, were extended one year and teachers will receive at least a 1.5 percent pay raise in the 2012-13 school year.

A teachers retirement incentive was also included in the agreement, leading to six teacher retirements at the end of this school year, deputy superintendent Marianne Higuera said.

The school board passed the teachers agreement 3-1 with board president Jim Moran, whose wife is a teacher in the district abstaining, and board member Michael Unger voting against it.

Mr. Unger said in times of economic uncertainty, he could not support a salary increase for the 2012-13 school year.

“I’m astounded that the board is willing to push off these problems to next year and the year after that,” he said before the vote.

Some residents applauded the teachers union for its concessions and disagreed with Mr. Unger. Others said the modifications of the contracts are fiscally unsustainable.

Miller Place Teachers Association president Nancy Sanders defended the deal reached with the board.

“We agreed to what we felt was a fair, equitable deal, so in other words, you’re welcome,” she said to the board.

The board also unanimously approved changes to Dr. Higuera and other administrators’ benefit agreements. Dr. Higerua’s contribution to her health insurance costs will increase from 15 to 42 percent next school year.

RESTORED PROGRAMS

Ms. Hodun announced a list of extracurricular programs now included in next year’s budget. Programs at the high school slated to be cut but are now restored include drama, robotics, Foreign Language Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, SADD and service club. At North Country Road Middle School, National Junior Honor Society, drama, robotics and badminton are back.

Programs that will still vanish next year include the high school’s audio visual club, mathletes, mock trial, newspaper, school store, varsity club and literary magazine.

The middle school will lose competition band, jazz chorus, jazz ensemble, string ensemble, the Washington trip, mathletes and Lego league. The monetary savings in program cuts was not immediately clear.

The district will save about $100,000 in athletic reductions, which includes the elimination of second football, basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams at the middle school. Also at the middle school, cheerleading and one track coaching position will be eliminated.

Varsity golf will be gone from the high school and both schools will have reductions in chaperones, scrimmages, supplies, equipment and awards and fewer non-league contests and tournaments. Also, the district will not purchase new uniforms.

Ms. Hodun also said Advanced Placement music theory would be eliminated next year. Other Advanced Placement courses could be eliminated depending on enrollment and interest, she said.

Residents have repeatedly spoken out against program cuts at budget workshops over the last two months, and some expressed gratitude for the restorations.

“I’m sad about the programs being cut, but I’m grateful you listened and brought back what you could,” said Laurel Sutton, of Miller Place.

samantha@northshoresun.com