Kings Park narrows budget gap to about $300,000 as board debates staffing cuts and solar-energy contract

Kings Park Central School District officials told the Board of Education that the district’s preliminary budget gap has narrowed from about $2.5 million to roughly $300,000 as administrators adjust staffing and await final state aid numbers.

Superintendent Doctor Egan said the district’s draft budget is just under $110 million and that the board is tracking three major uncertainties: federal Title and special-education grants that together provide about $1 million; roughly $2.67 million in tax-credit funding the district expects to use for a combined solar-and-boiler project; and a $690,000 EPA grant to offset the cost of electric buses. “If that money disappears it makes our boiler and solar project financials don’t work,” Egan said.

The superintendent said the proposed budget currently assumes a 2.99% tax levy increase, and estimated the average homeowner would see an…