Sachem board reviews $381.6 million spending plan, weighs cuts, reserves and tax-levy options

The Sachem Central School District board on Wednesday reviewed a proposed $381,600,000 expenditure budget for 2025–26 and discussed a menu of reductions, use of reserves and tax‑levy scenarios to close a remaining gap.

The district’s staff presented what they described as the updated baseline and the changes since the February 26 presentation. “We are at $381,600,000 expenditure budget right now,” the district presenter said, adding salaries were the largest single category at $178,400,000 and employee benefits were budgeted at about $97,000,000.

District administrators said the proposed tax levy would rise 2.2005% under the board’s current plan and that figure is within the state tax‑levy cap. “We are not looking to pierce on this tax levy,” the presenter said. Board members also reviewed a scenario that would pierce the cap and restore many cuts: staff said a 5.21% tax levy would close the immediate gap but would require a supermajority vote and still leave the district appropriating fund balance.

Why it matters: The presentation showed the district balancing choices among program reductions, transferring $9 million to capital projects, using an anticipated $12 million of year‑end surplus and reserving money against a Proposition 2 transportation question that must go to voters. Board members and residents pressed for details about how the cuts would affect programs, what reserves remain and whether any restored spending should be targeted to classroom teachers or to extracurriculars.

Key figures and options - Expenditure budget presented: $381,600,000. - Salaries: $178,400,000 (about a 1.8% budget‑to‑budget…