Plainview-Old Bethpage board holds final budget hearing; district proposes 2.75% tax levy and reserve-funded Proposition 2

The Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District held its final public budget hearing before the May 20 vote, where Superintendent Dr. O'Meara and district administrators outlined a $197,000,000 budget that the district says would be funded by a proposed 2.75% tax levy and other revenue streams.

Dr. O'Meara framed the hearing as the last public opportunity to ask questions about the plan and urged residents to seek accurate information and vote. "This is our budget hearing," he said, and reminded residents that "the informed voter is the most important" in the process.

The district presented its state-aid picture in two parts: an initial January run showed a 7.5% increase that equated to about $2,500,000, but district officials said the finalized numbers reduced the net additional revenue to the district to approximately $260,000. "When you're talking about a $197,000,000 budget, that isn't a significant amount of money," Dr. O'Meara said of the state-aid change.

Administrators said the adopted budget includes $2,500,000 earmarked for capital projects, including repairs to the high school pool, additions of restrooms in buildings that lack sufficient plumbing, and cafeteria air-conditioning. Officials said those projects reflect priorities the community supported in the bond survey and that, for the first time, the district planned to borrow from a reserve fund to soften taxpayer impact on certain items.

Dr. Dylan, a district administrator, explained how building and expense-driven aid can fluctuate as projects close out and state databases are updated. He warned of the consequences if voters reject the budget: "If that second revote does not pass, we will be required to go to a contingency budget... right off the bat, we're looking at a $3,940,000 deficit that we'd have to fill," Dr. Dylan said. Under a contingency budget, the district said it could not increase the tax levy from the prior year and would face limits on nonessential spending, potentially affecting new equipment, clubs, athletics, extracurriculars and some capital projects.

Officials told residents there is one revote option if the budget fails; the board could resubmit the same budget or a lower budget for a second vote. The district also promoted outreach efforts — short building videos and presentations to PTAs — to explain budget items and urged eligible voters to register (registration hours noted by the district run through the day before the vote, with forms drop-off available at the district clerk's offices at Matlin and Jamaica Avenue School).

Votes at the meeting on routine business and the listed agenda items were recorded as approved; the transcript did not include roll-call tallies. The board also scheduled Proposition 2 on the ballot: district officials said Proposition 2 would fund specific reserve projects that do not increase the tax levy, and warned that if Proposition 2 fails and enrollment changes concentrate students in some buildings (notably JJP), the district may need to revisit redistricting.

The budget vote is scheduled for May 20. The district asked voters and community members to contact district staff directly with budget questions to ensure accurate information prior to the vote.

The board closed the business portion of the meeting and moved on to personnel and other agenda items.