Great Neck board puts capital-reserve Proposition 2 on May ballot; budget update shows $149M in instructional spending

The Great Neck Union Free School District Board of Education voted unanimously to place Proposition 2 on the May budget ballot, authorizing use of money from an existing capital reserve to fund stadium and building improvements without increasing the tax levy.

Superintendent Dan Bossert and Business Administrator John O'Keefe briefed the board on the 2025–26 draft budget and on the capital projects that Proposition 2 would fund. O'Keefe said the district is proposing roughly $10.5 million in capital work in the coming year and that the two projects tied to Proposition 2 total about $8.8 million. The projects described at the meeting include installation of synthetic turf, lighting and track resurfacing at North Middle School, restroom and storage upgrades tied to that site, and the full renovation of a former shop classroom (Classroom 21) into a multipurpose room at a district building.

O'Keefe said the capital work proposed under Proposition 2 would come from the district's capital reserve and would not raise the tax levy. He also summarized the draft operating budget: instructional categories total just under $149 million — about half of the district's draft budget — with the largest single expenditure being general education salaries and personnel. On the tax cap, O'Keefe said the district's tax levy cap limit for next year is 3.05 percent under the current formula.

Superintendent Bossert addressed federal funding uncertainty and the district's exposure. "We receive approximately $3,500,000 in federal support, which represents a little over 1% of what our total operating budget is," Bossert said at the meeting. He told the board the district has been informed those federal grant awards are secured for the immediate future but that the administration is monitoring national developments because any future loss of federal funding could require the board and community to prioritize programs differently.

Board members discussed next steps for a successful May proposition campaign and asked that the administration prepare outreach materials explaining project scope, timing and why voters are being asked to release reserve funds. The board adopted a resolution to place the proposition on the ballot and then approved the procedural items needed to publish the legal notice and move the budget timeline forward.

The board also heard that the full budget adoption hearing and final budget adoption will occur at the board's next presentation, which O'Keefe said is scheduled for April 22; the district's public budget vote is scheduled for May 20.

Ending

Board members said they expect additional public materials between now and the vote to help voters understand the capital work and confirm that Proposition 2, if approved, will use reserve funds and not raise the tax levy. The board approved placing the proposition on the ballot 5-0 during the meeting.