Locust Valley proposes 2% budget increase, 2.1% tax-levy increase; $2.5M security upgrades and a bus-policy change go to voters

Dr. Kristen Turnau, superintendent of the Locust Valley Central School District, on the district’s budget presentation said the proposed 2026–27 budget preserves all existing academic, athletic and extracurricular programs while prioritizing fiscal restraint and taxpayer sensitivity.

"Every dollar of our budget is accounted for and reported publicly," Turnau said, noting copies are available at each school building, the public library and on a newly created budget web page.

The district is proposing a 2% increase in the overall budget and a 2.1% increase in the tax levy, Turnau said, which she described as below the New York State maximum allowable tax-cap rate and estimated would translate into $669,000 in savings for the community compared with taking the full cap. She also said the district’s budget and levy increases rank on the lower side among Long Island districts.

Why it matters: Turnau said the proposal funds a mix of instructional investments — expanded evidence-based literacy programs, additional science staffing at the elementary level, expanded middle-school career and technical education and new high-school electives — while keeping nearly three-quarters of appropriations focused on staff salaries and benefits.

The budget presentation includes two voter propositions. Proposition One is the overall budget for the 2026–27 school year; in the presentation transcript the total was spoken as "100 million 251,364" (formatting in the spoken record is inconsistent). Proposition Two would fund a $2.5 million capital initiative to replace classroom doors and locks across elementary and secondary schools, which Turnau described as "a vital investment in the safety and security of our students."

Proposition Two also includes a written change to the district’s transportation-eligibility policy that Turnau said aligns formal policy with current practice. The change would set a zero-mile eligibility threshold for students in grades 1–5 (replacing the existing half-mile threshold) and for grades 6–12 (replacing the existing 1-mile threshold), and would increase the district’s maximum eligible distance from 15 miles to 18 miles. Turnau said the revision is being placed on the ballot to meet New York State law requirements.

Turnau warned of the consequences if the budget fails twice: state law would mandate a contingency budget with a zero-percent levy increase and the removal of non-contingent (nonessential) expenses. She listed programs that would be at risk under contingency—continuing-education offerings, driver's-education and EMT programs, some summer recreation and academic programs, senior-center access, weight-room availability and certain equipment purchases—and cautioned that entering contingency could also jeopardize multi-year contract protections for transportation services, exposing the district to rebidding or CPI-based renewals that could raise costs over time.

Turnau named next steps: a budget hearing scheduled for Wednesday, May 6; three trustee seats up for election with three candidates announced (Holly Stavis, Brian Keveny and Paul Chicharello); and polling hours from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at three designated polling locations. She invited questions by email to herself or Karen Orzechowski, the assistant superintendent for business, and pointed listeners to the district’s budget web page for detailed presentations organized by content area.

What to watch: the May 6 hearing and the subsequent budget vote and trustee election. The district did not record a formal vote during the presentation meeting.