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Westbury officials present 2025‑26 budget with 2.3% tax levy increase; vote set for May 19
Summary
District officials presented a proposed 2025‑26 Westbury Union Free School District budget that would raise spending 4.21% year‑over‑year and increase the tax levy by 2.3%; officials said state aid timing means any extra aid would likely restore reserves or fund facilities rather than lower the levy before the May 19 vote.
Westbury Union Free School District officials presented the district's proposed 2025‑26 budget at a public budget hearing, outlining a 4.21% year‑over‑year spending increase and a 2.3% tax levy increase to taxpayers. The district scheduled the budget vote and school board election for May 19.
"So our proposed budget for next year, as stated, it's a 4.21% increase from last year to this year with a tax levy increase to the community of 2.3%," said Brian Sudrin, the district's facilities director, who delivered the presentation as part of an MSED internship requirement. Sudrin described preserved programs — academics, athletics and the arts — and highlighted planned investments including auditorium and classroom renovations, updated Chromebooks and enhanced security vestibules.
Sudrin listed several cost increases and expense reductions as presented: contractual cost increases and tuition/charter school payments, growing special‑education costs, transportation and insurance as fixed costs, retirements that are not being replaced and other savings. He said the budget‑to‑budget dollar difference is about $8.48 million.
The presenter outlined the district's contingency plan if voters reject the budget: resubmit the proposal or adopt a contingent budget with a zero increase that would constrain after‑hours facility use, prohibit new equipment purchases and limit noninstructional salary increases and capital spending.
During public Q&A, Isabella Hamilton identified herself and asked how savings from retirees not being replaced were calculated. Chair (speaker 1) and Mary O'Neil, the district business official, said the district expects roughly nine retirees will not be replaced while about 10–11 retirees are being replaced; the projected personnel savings reflect replacing higher‑paid, long‑service staff with lower starting salaries for new hires.
Chair (speaker 1) also addressed recent analyses of state foundation aid, including coverage of an "Erase Racism" report and a Rockefeller Foundation review of the aid formula. He said the district previously pushed for restoration of aid tied to the 2007 foundation‑aid formula and that, as presented in the hearing, the district is receiving foundation aid in line with the 2007 calculation. He cautioned that studies applying updated inflation or calculation factors would increase the amount of aid districts "should" get, but that any change in the state formula or supplemental aid would likely arrive too late to alter this year's tax‑levy calculation and therefore would be applied to reserves or capital projects.
Mary O'Neil read the district's state aid projections as presented: foundation aid listed as 76.7 for the current year and projected at 77.5 next year (figures read from district projections during the hearing; the unit label was not explicitly stated in the transcript). Officials invited residents to submit follow‑up questions to budget@westburyschools.org and to review posted materials from prior presentations.
The public hearing was closed; the district will hold a combined planning and action meeting on May 12 and the districtwide budget vote and school board election on May 19. "We encourage everybody to come out and vote," the Chair said.
