School budget still above mandated tax cap: District receives high honor from State
The Shelter Island School District’s administration has chopped $117,499 from a budget proposal since the Feb. 25 workshop, but spending still exceeds revenues for the 2025-26 school year.
Plans call for a need to go above the State-imposed tax cap, Superintendent Brian Doelger, Ed.D., said at Monday night’s meeting.
Although there will be ongoing efforts to find more spending cuts, it appears likely that, unless there is more State aid or a significant change in programs offered to students, it will be necessary to seek voter permission to pierce the property tax cap.
Most years the state legislature adds money in state aid to schools and there has been no indication that won’t happen this year despite federal spending cuts to education by the federal government.
“From all of the information we have received from our lawyers and advocacy groups, we do not see the current federal cuts affecting our district in any way,” Mr. Doelger said.
If the district doesn’t find additional cuts or receive more revenue, it would take the approval of 60% of voters on May 20 to pass a budget that pierces the tax cap.
If there are no changes of spending or revenues, numbers provided to the district by assessors indicate those whose property is assessed at $800,000 could expect their taxes to increase by $115 for the year to support the 2025-2026 school budget, which is currently at $13.9 million, up 5.9% from the current budget. Of that current budget, $11.5 million had to come from taxpayers. It would take $12.3 million from taxpayers to fund the 2025-26 budget.
The spending cuts made since Feb. 25 came from a 10% decrease for materials, supplies, equipment and travel; adjustments in busing and transportation; recalculating staffing for next year by combining some assignments; and removing some additions to contractual services.
Mr. Doelger said that programs are already run in a lean and efficient manner. Cutting spending to programs would require major changes in the character of the school, he added.
This would come at a time when the school has just been recognized as the only Suffolk County high school to achieve “platinum status” for its achievements in advanced placement courses, and one of only 17 gaining that recognition throughout Long Island. Mr. Doelger pronounced the Island in great company, with others including Garden City, Great Neck, Herricks, Jericho, Manhasset, North Shore Plainview-Old Bethpage, Roslyn, and Wheatley School.
The district has been working with educational consultant Christina Lesh to enhance its curriculum from kindergarten through grade 12. A fuller story on the curriculum transformation program will appear next week.
The Board of Education is slated to approve the budget on Monday, April 7, although that could be delayed until near the end of April if there is an expectation about State funding by then.
A budget public hearing is set for May 12, but no changes can be made to the budget by that date.
Voting takes place at the school gymnasium between noon and 9 p.m. May 20.
DISTRICT HONORED BY STATE
Mr. Doelger said the district is proud to be one of the few in the state to earn the “Platinum School of Distinction.” In his six years at the helm, he said students have sustained continuous improvement on state exams and programs focused on English language arts and math.
Those programs are continuing, and this year science was added to the focus with expectations the effort would continue and expand to include social studies next year.
Island students have demonstrated outstanding results on Regents exams “ensuring our students are well prepared for success,” Mr. Doelger said.
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Kate Rossi-Snook told her Board of Education colleagues she will not be seeking re-election after six years of service. The decision was difficult, she said, but had to be made to attend to her work with Cornell Cooperative Extension. She pledged she would remain a program resource for the school on programs related to her work.
Board President Kathleen Lynch plans another run to continue her Board service.
Anyone interested in running for a Board of Education seat can pick up a packet with a petition that must be signed by at least 25 people; petitions are due to be submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 21. Candidates aren’t required to use the official petitions and can collect signatures on their own petitions, as long as they indicate the purpose of the petition.
