Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
East Islip board reviews second 2025–26 budget draft, warns of possible $6–7M state‑aid loss
Summary
Assistant Superintendent for Business Steven Harrison presented the board’s second 2025–26 budget draft, describing a governor’s proposal of a 2% state‑aid increase (~$820,000), a board‑supported 1.75% levy draft, use of reserves and a capital‑reserve ballot item for switchgear replacement; he warned that elimination of the state’s 'hold harmless' policy could cut district aid by $6–7 million.
Assistant Superintendent for Business Steven Harrison presented the East Islip Union Free School District’s second draft of the 2025–26 budget, saying the governor’s proposal amounts to a 2% increase in state aid—about $820,000—largely driven by a $580,000 rise in foundation aid.
Harrison said universal prekindergarten funding in the proposal remains $963,900, which funds 78 full‑time seats. He described the district as currently 'hold harmless' for state aid and warned that if that policy were eliminated the district could lose an estimated $6–7 million in aid: 'There's a decent chance that we could get hit to upwards of a $7,000,000 decrease in state aid.'
The presentation showed student counts are down (enrollment from roughly 5,000 to about 3,500), which affects foundation aid; Harrison said the district’s assessed value and income per pupil are comparable to New York State averages and that the district has been above the formula’s intended funding level for several years. He noted that foundation aid per student rose by only about $62 in the governor’s proposal.
On local revenue, Harrison said the tax‑levy cap for 2025–26 is 2.93% and that the board currently supports a 1.75% levy in the draft budget—about $900,000 below the maximum allowable levy. He estimated the average homeowner impact under the 1.75% levy would be about $140 annually. Harrison described the district’s plan to fund the gap between revenues and expenses in part by using $6.4 million of reserves (approximately 5% of the budget) and reiterated that salary and benefits remain the largest cost category (roughly three‑quarters of the budget).
Harrison also described a second ballot proposition to spend up to $3 million from an existing capital reserve—previously approved—to replace switchgear at this building and at Timber Point Elementary School, saying that work would be funded from reserve and would not require additional borrowing or a tax increase.
Board members asked about contingency options if the state eliminates hold harmless. Harrison said the state had proposed a two‑step reduction in prior planning and that a full elimination could force the district to rely more heavily on reserves or consider increasing the levy (which could require a 60% supermajority if it exceeds the cap).
The board set a budget‑adoption meeting for April 22, a required budget hearing for May 6, and the district vote for May 20 (6 a.m.–9 p.m.).
