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East Rockaway previews 2026–27 budget; district seeks $1.6 million capital authorization, projects 2.69% levy increase
Summary
District staff told the board the 2026–27 budget will reflect a small state-aid decline, a 2.69% projected property-levy increase (below the 2.94% cap), and a recommended $1.6 million voter authorization for roof, façade and HVAC projects; final adoption is April 21 with a May 19 budget vote.
District staff on March 17 gave the East Rockaway Board of Education a detailed preview of the 2026–27 budget, highlighting a modest drop in projected foundation aid, a proposed $1.6 million voter authorization for capital work and a projected 2.69% property-tax levy increase.
Mr. McN, the district staff presenter, said the district’s convert-from-projection enrollment counts fell from 1,399 estimated aidable units to 1,392 actual aidable units, reducing projected foundation aid by roughly $49,000 under the governor’s executive proposal. He cautioned that final aid figures could change as the Legislature negotiates the state budget.
The presenter said the district’s tax-levy cap for 2026–27 has been recalculated at 2.94%. “That equates to about a $1.001 million levy increase if we were to go to the cap,” he said, and noted the district currently projects a 2.69% levy increase in the proposed budget, below the cap but higher than recent years’ adopted increases.
On capital needs, staff recommended several priority projects: replacement of a more-than-30-year-old slate roof on the middle-school wing that has produced repeated leaks, façade/fascia restoration at the high school front, and targeted HVAC and weatherization upgrades in the athletic-complex wing. Architects recommended placing a “not to exceed” authorization of $1.6 million on the voter ballot to fund those aidable projects through capital reserves and SED (State Education Department) approval.
District staff explained that using capital reserves and filing final cost reports triggers building aid; converting short-term borrowing to long-term debt will increase debt-service recorded in the budget (about $500,000) but is expected to yield roughly $350,000 in additional building-aid revenue, for a net estimated budget impact of about $150,000.
Budget drivers called out in the presentation included salary and benefit projections (a roughly $1.1 million increase if staffing is unchanged), a projected rise in contracted transportation costs of about $122,000 driven by new routes and vendor inflation, and modest utility savings where energy-performance upgrades reduced water and heating expenses.
The board was given a timeline: a final budget work session and adoption is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 21 at the same location; a public budget hearing is set for May 5 at 6 p.m.; and the budget vote and trustee election will be held May 19, 2026, with polls open 7 a.m.–9 p.m. at East Rockaway High School.
The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn the public session and enter executive session to discuss contract negotiations; the motion, moved by Mrs. Doyle and seconded by Mr. Lores, was approved by voice vote and the public meeting closed at 7:08 p.m.
