Continued efforts to lower Shelter Island School spending

If budget expectations for the 2025-26 school year appeared dire a couple of weeks ago, the picture has brightened a bit.

There’s still no guarantee the administration and the Shelter Island Board of Education can stay within the 2% state-imposed cap on a rise in new taxes. But Superintendent Brian Doelger, Ed.D. outlined some approaches that his administration and the Board of Education are still pursuing, keeping the same goals, they said, of a spending plan that provides the best education possible at the most efficient cost.

“We’re constantly working at that,” Mr. Doelger said at Monday night’s second budget workshop.

On the good news side, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) budget would grant the Island 5.44% more in state aid, $36,552 more than received for the current  school year. State legislators typically provide more than the governor has proposed, which means there’s hope for additional funding.

Although the State budget is supposed to be finalized by April 1, it has been several years since the governor and legislators achieved that deadline, Mr. Doelger said.

Currently, the Board of Education and administrators are looking at numbers that show more expenditures than revenues, so there’s more to be done before residents go to the polls May 20 to have the final word on the budget.

The largest part of the budget supports academic administration and general classroom instruction. The current overall increase is at 15.78%, including a 22.02% anticipated hike in special education costs within the overall category, mandated for a student’s specific needs.

Because there are educational programs the district can’t offer, the Island budget needs to provide tuition, transportation and other related costs to support those students.

Special educational costs are currently calculated at $3.4 million in the 2025-26 year, compared with $1.1 million in the current year.

Other costs include occupational education in such courses as automotive and marine engine repairing, culinary skills and barbering. Those students spend half a day off-Island getting hands-on experience through BOCES programs. Guidance counseling is also included in the category.

Other costs are associated with month-long summer classes to assist students with reading and math skills.

Tentative numbers revealed Monday night show a 3.6% increase in printing and postage that’s part of the plant operations and maintenance budget. That’s because those costs were higher this year than budgeted, so it made no sense to budget without raising those costs for next year.

Current spending on that section of the budget is anticipated to be $45,470 not $36,550 that was in the budget for this year.

Debt service is another aspect of budgeting that includes “tax anticipation,” since school districts’ obligation to pay bills doesn’t fully coordinate with the flow of aid, taxes, and other revenue sources, which results in borrowing to pay bills.

Add to that the cost of borrowing necessitated by some major projects and the district is anticipating a 7.57% hike in payments to cover debt at $605,072 for the next school year, up from $560,938 this year.

The administration and Board of Education are still evaluating programmatic elements of the spending plan with no final decisions reached yet. “As always, the needs of the students and the needs of the taxpayers will be balanced to create a fiscally and educationally responsible program for the district,” according to the draft material provided for this workshop.

Going forward, district officials will continue to monitor developments in educational needs and progress on the State budget. Meanwhile, a third budget presentation is slated for Feb. 25 at 6 p.m., which is expected to contain some adjustments.

The Board of Education anticipates adopting the budget proposal on April 7. Then on May 12, a public hearing will be held to entertain any comments and questions from residents, with voting to take place between noon and 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20.