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Resident criticizes district budget and "2% cap" during public comment at East Meadow Board meeting
Summary
A member of the public at the June 11 meeting criticized the district's budget, questioned a perceived "2%" tax cap and cited district spending figures. Board members and the superintendent responded with offers to explain the tax-cap calculation and directed the commenter to district materials.
During the June 11 East Meadow Board of Education meeting, a public commenter identified as Anthony used the board's public-comment period to criticize the district budget, question the tax-cap calculation and challenge district spending priorities.
Anthony asked, "What happened to the 2% cap?" and later said the district budget was "$272,000,000" and that the amount equated to "34,000 per kid," remarks he attributed to the district's total budget and his calculation. Board members and district staff addressed the comment in real time.
A board member responded that the tax-cap calculation is published and offered to provide the commenter with the detailed formula, saying the cap "is not a 2% cap" and offering to call the speaker and explain the formula and where it appears on the district website. The superintendent also noted that a previous budget presentation covered the calculations and that staff could follow up.
Other exchanges during the public-comment segment included a board member noting that the district draws families to the area and that "education is expensive everywhere you go." The speaker challenged turnout levels and the relationship between tax rates and district services.
The board did not take any policy action in response to the comments but encouraged the speaker to leave contact information so staff could provide a detailed explanation of how the tax-cap calculation and the district's tax rate were derived.
A student speaker, Aaron Horowitz, also used the public-comment period to thank departing trustees and congratulate classmates and incoming student representatives.
