Nassau County School Board adopts $318,573,297.96 2024–25 budget, sets millage rates

The Nassau County School Board adopted its 2024–25 final budget and set four millage rates at a special meeting on Sept. 11.

Doctor Burns recommended the millage schedule and the board approved each rate by unanimous 5–0 votes: the required local effort at 3.081 mills; the discretionary millage at 0.748 mills; the capital improvement millage at 1.5 mills; and the voted additional operating millage at 1.0 mill. The chair then presented and the board adopted the district summary budget in the amount of $318,573,297.96.

The board and staff framed the action as necessary to secure state funding and maintain district programs. Ellen, who explained the rollback rate at the start of the hearing, said the district’s rollback rate is 6.1436 and the advertised rate is 6.329 — a 3.02% increase above the rollback rate. "The rollback rate for Nassau County School Board is 6.1436," Ellen said during the public explanation required by statute.

Doctor Burns outlined the formal motions recommending each millage and the budget. "Recommend approval of the required local effort millage is 3.081 mills," Doctor Burns said before the board voted. For each action the board recorded a unanimous vote: "Aye" on procedural voice votes that were announced as carrying 5–0.

Board members said the local effort millage is necessary to preserve eligibility for roughly $45 million in state funds that depend on the local contribution. The board also emphasized that the approved discretionary and capital millage levels were unchanged from recent years, a point Miss Cook made while noting those numbers had been the same "for years."

The board approved adoption resolution No. 1372 determining revenues and millage levy and then voted to adopt the final budget for fiscal year 2024–25. After the budget votes, the board approved the year-end financial report for fiscal 2023–24, again by a 5–0 vote.

The board said the millage figures and budget documents will be posted on the district website and that the millage oversight committee will provide a written report to the board on Oct. 24. The meeting adjourned after the chair noted a regular board meeting is scheduled for the following evening and that an executive session would follow that meeting.

Ending: The adopted millage rates and the final budget are effective for fiscal year 2024–25; the oversight committee report and posted budget documents were identified as the next steps for public review.