West Islip proposes $141.4 million 2025–26 budget, to draw $4.4M from reserves

The West Islip Union Free School District presented a proposed $141.4 million expenditure budget for the 2025–26 school year that would raise the district tax levy to $96.3 million, a 3.07% increase over the current year, the presenter said at a budget workshop. The district plans to appropriate about $4.4 million from restricted reserves to help close a budget shortfall.

The presenter said property taxes remain the district's primary revenue source, accounting for roughly 69% of the funding profile, with state aid at just over 24% and other revenue, fund balance and reserves making up the remainder. "For the 2025–26 school year, our tax levy will be $96,300,000," the presenter said. Because final town assessment figures are not yet available, the district provided an estimated tax rate of $21.56 per $100 of assessed value.

In practical terms, the presenter said the district estimates the average homeowner would see an annual school-tax increase that breaks down to about $24.60 per month based on current estimates. The presenter cautioned that final assessed values and homestead percentages from the town of Islip, due in October, will determine the final tax rate.

The proposal includes position changes to balance the books: the district will move existing pre‑K classes to South Shore Children's Center and reassign pre‑K staff to fund a restored elementary literacy coach and a computer teaching assistant for each elementary school. The presenter said 23 teachers accepted a retirement incentive; nine of those departures affect the 2025–26 budget and the district plans to absorb several other positions through attrition while eliminating nine teaching positions next year.

Officials outlined targeted investments in instruction and technology: an elementary literacy program aligned with the science of reading, an additional elementary speech pathologist as self‑contained classes expand, new career and technical education offerings (welding and design technology), and district pilots of instructional software and artificial‑intelligence platforms. The presenter said staff evaluated several platforms and recommended one priced at about $23,000.

On reserves and fund balance, the presenter said five restricted reserve funds had a combined balance of about $20 million; the district will appropriate $4.4 million for 2025–26 and projects a year‑end balance of roughly $15.7 million. Specific planned draws include $700,000 from the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) reserve, $2,000,000 from the Employee Retirement System (ERS) reserve and $425,000 from the workers' compensation reserve to cover next year's expected costs.

The district also described a capital reserve proposition that will appear on the May ballot to fund a West High School security project — electronic locks and card‑access readers — with a not‑to‑exceed estimate of $700,000; officials said capital‑reserve projects use existing reserve funds and do not add to property taxes. Trustees will be electing three board members this spring; nominating petitions are available at the district office with a filing deadline of April 21 at 5 p.m. The district plans to adopt the budget on April 23, hold a public budget hearing on May 6 and hold the budget vote on May 20 in the high school gymnasium from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

During a question-and-answer period, a participant asked whether the district would restore positions if additional state aid arrived. The presenter said any restorations would be considered but depend on final state aid figures and the district's goal of reducing reliance on reserves over time; a committee member noted the board's long‑standing commitment to staying within the tax cap.

Next steps: the district will finalize numbers after receiving town assessment figures and the state budget; the board plans to adopt the budget on April 23 and the budget vote is scheduled for May 20.