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Board hears preliminary 2025–26 budget: $139.9 million proposed, tax levy within cap at 2.6%
Summary
District business staff presented a preliminary budget of $139,889,187 (a 1.63% increase) with a proposed tax levy increase of 2.6% (within a 2.62% cap). The board reviewed component changes, a reduced appropriated fund balance and the schedule toward the May 20 vote.
Ms. Rehak, presenting district budget materials, briefed the Rockville Centre Board of Education on the proposed 2025–26 spending plan during the March 13 meeting.
The proposed budget stands at $139,889,187 — an increase of 1.63% from the current year, Ms. Rehak said. The district’s tax levy proposal is $109,240,000, a 2.6% increase that remains within the calculated tax cap of 2.62% after an updated BOCES capital share. The presentation listed a reduced appropriated fund balance from $2.8 million to $2.4 million as a change since the previous meeting.
Program-by-program highlights presented included: instructional administration at $4,649,976 (about 3.32% of the budget); the instruction component at $43,205,728 (30.89% of the budget) with a projected decrease of roughly $307,000 (0.71%); special education projected up about $140,000 (0.74%); and pupil personnel services projected up about $64,000 (3.3%). The district plans to hold a transfer to capital at $1.8 million.
Ms. Rehak said reductions from prior estimates came from staffing adjustments tied to retirements and the conversion of certain services that lowered contracted platform costs. She said some program increases reflect a return to more in-school assemblies and arts in motion activity since the pandemic.
Key dates in the budget calendar are: March 27 (work session on music, arts, phys ed and athletics), April 10 (preliminary budget hearing), May 8 (formal budget hearing) and May 20 (annual election and budget vote). Ms. Rehak noted that the district remains attentive to state budget changes; she said proposals under discussion at the state level could increase the minimum foundation aid and affect final numbers, but the legislative budget had not been finalized.
Trustees asked about enrollment trends and where declines might affect Foundation Aid; Ms. Rehak said the aid formula includes enrollment and wealth-ratio components and that the district’s February census figures have been used so far. Board members also asked about enrollment projections for several new course pilots; Rehak and other administrators said some classes (for example, Intro to Fashion Design and AP Human Geography) have strong early interest but final sections will be determined in late spring when selections firm up.
In public comment, a resident asked about charter-school tuition and federal aid exposure; administrators said the budget currently assumes nine charter-school placements and an estimated $195,000 for charter tuition, and that the district receives roughly $1.5 million in federal grants (excluding lunch reimbursement) that fund positions and programs. The administration said it will continue to monitor federal and state developments and adjust if legislative changes arrive before budget adoption.
