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Massapequa budget update projects 3.2% increase; district recommends steps to limit tax levy
Summary
Business office update said the proposed 2025–26 budget holds programs, adds full-time elementary social workers, transfers $250,000 to capital, anticipates higher health-insurance rates and shows a recommended total spending increase of 3.2 percent with the tax levy projected below the legal limit.
The Massapequa Union Free School District presented an updated budget projection Tuesday that preserves current programs, adds full-time elementary social workers, includes a $250,000 transfer to capital and recommends a 3.2 percent total budget increase for 2025–26.
The update, provided at a board meeting ahead of the district’s budget-adoption vote, said the board and business office recommend adding a modest contingency for projected health-insurance rate increases and removing one $10,000 line item for a MAL machine. The presentation emphasized the district’s work to refine state-aid estimates as Albany delays a final state budget.
“Mister Huff” (district finance presenter) told the board the budget “adds full time social workers as district employees to the elementary schools. It adds a transfer to capital to support our long range capital plans, in the amount of $250,000,” and recommended a small additional allocation for health insurance after a year of a 0% increase.
Officials said updated state-aid estimates — including higher BOCES aid and transportation/building aid than the governor’s January proposal — reduce pressure on the levy. The presenter said the district’s updated state-aid picture would increase projected aid from an earlier $413,000 to about $1.7 million in the presentation’s scenario, lowering the levy projection into the high-2 percent range and keeping it under the district’s 3.09 percent tax levy limit. District staff noted uncertainty remains while Albany has not adopted a final state budget; the state extended funding through April 15 and had issued multiple budget extenders.
The presentation listed recommended next steps: adopt the budget at the scheduled vote, continue public outreach (including a May 13 community presentation), and run longer-term program reviews to manage labor-driven costs. The business office explained the district plans to use prudent reserves for retirement contributions next year to smooth future cliffs but emphasized caution about overreliance on one-time reserves.
Board members thanked staff for the detailed numbers and discussed further expense reviews; the business office said deeper program review work will continue through budget and finance committee channels.
