North Merrick outlines 2025–26 budget plan, three propositions and May 20 vote

The North Merrick Union Free School District held its third budget advisory meeting to review the 2025–26 spending plan and ballot items ahead of a May 20 budget vote.

During opening remarks, a district staff member said the district reports its spending in three components — program, administrative and capital — and that the program component is the largest portion of the expenditure budget. “So you'll see right now, the largest component of our budget, and again, like I said, it should always be the largest, is the program, and that's 79.62%,” the speaker said.

The district also outlined key dates in the budget process: a staff presentation and board adoption request scheduled for April 8, a public budget hearing on May 13 and the budget vote on May 20. Officials encouraged residents to review the online budget materials and to vote.

Board materials previewed three propositions that will appear on the ballot. Proposition 1 is the annual school budget; Proposition 2 would create a new capital reserve to save for future projects without incurring debt service; and Proposition 3 requests a $1,300,000 withdrawal from the 2019 capital reserve to replace the roof at Camp Avenue School. As the presenter explained, “We're requesting, dollars 1,300,000 withdrawal from the reserve to replace the roof at Camp Avenue School.”

District staff said the capital-reserve approach is intended to allow planning and saving for projects while avoiding the additional cost of debt service that can accompany separate bond elections.

Next steps: the board will review and is expected to act on required budget filings at the April 8 meeting before the public hearing and May 20 vote.