Rockville Centre proposes 2.6% tax levy, 1.63% budget increase; preliminary hearing April 10

Rockville Centre Union Free School District officials presented the district's preliminary 2025-26 budget at the March 27 public work session, proposing a tax levy increase of 2.6% (below the district's calculated tax cap of 2.62%) and a budget-to-budget increase of 1.63 percent.

The presentation outlined the budget schedule: the board's preliminary budget hearing is set for April 10 (last chance for district changes), the formal budget hearing on May 8 and the annual election and budget vote scheduled for May 20 at Southside High School. The district reported it filed its tax cap calculation with the Office of the State Comptroller on March 1; the filed cap was 2.62% and the district proposes a levy below that cap.

District staff reported the overall 2025-26 budget increase at 1.63% to $139,889,187 (presenter provided that figure). Key program-area notes in the presentation included:

- Special schools: described as roughly 0.9% of the total budget; staff said this code covers summer programs, before/after-school programs, community education and other non-regular instructional programs. Staff described a 4.64% increase year-over-year for the special schools line; the presenter did not provide a consolidated dollar figure in every line item during the presentation.

- Instructional media: approximately 2.96% of the total budget with a reported decrease of 0.95% (about $40,000). The district cited contractual increases for staffing and a new microphone receiver purchase, and said it reduced some software subscriptions after an evaluation.

- Co-curricular activities: under 0.5% of the budget with a reported increase of 2.59% (about $17,000), intended to support clubs, chaperones and expanded student opportunities including DECA competition costs.

- Athletics: just over 1% of the budget with a reported decrease of 1.92% (about $32,000). The athletics budget includes the costs of coaches, trainers, referee fees, facility rentals and annual equipment reconditioning. The 2025-26 budget includes funding for two new programs, varsity field hockey and unified bowling; district staff also budgeted for a subscription to the Positive Coaching Alliance.

- Music and arts: discussed as part of instructional programming (K-12), including staffing, instrument rental and repair, licensing and staging costs for school productions; presenters highlighted the upcoming spring musical, Newsies.

Staff emphasized that the proposed tax levy of 2.6% is slightly below the district's tax cap and that the budget includes a $1,800,000 transfer to the capital fund for ongoing projects. The presenter said the district's transfer-to-capital amount remains $1.8 million in the proposed budget.

Board members thanked staff for maintaining extracurricular and special-program funding and asked for additional detail on software evaluations, revenue generated by special schools programs and the scheduling of international trips and athletics program additions. A staff member said special schools programs typically bring in revenue and later provided a district figure that the programs net roughly $1 million in revenue (presenter said the net budget effect is about $250,000 after revenue offsets).

No formal budget adoption vote was taken on March 27; the board set the preliminary hearing for April 10 and will consider any changes before the May 8 formal hearing and the May 20 vote.

Ending: The presentation left the proposed 2.6% tax levy in place under the district's reported 2.62% cap and scheduled the next formal budget review and public hearings; board members requested follow-up on software evaluations, field-trip equity and program revenues.