2025-2026 school budget season underway, public vote scheduled for May 20

Budget season for the Northport-East Northport school district began on January 23, during an overview presentation made by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dave Moyer and Assistant Superintendent of Business Robert Howard. The budget process will take place over the next five board of education meetings, with a final public vote scheduled for May 20. 

The district is currently facing a $726,021 deficit when the tax levy is increased by 2%. This figure is assuming a 0% state-aid increase (a factor the district won’t know for sure until April), and a 1.71% revenue increase from last year. Howard said the projected deficit is “not alarming” when managing budgets of this size; he will be discussing strategies for closing the deficit, along with Dr. Moyer, during the budget process. 

During the overview presentation, Howard went through some “high level” factors that will impact the 2025-26 budget. He explained that 75% of the district’s costs are from staff salaries and benefits, which is typical of a school district, and 90% of expenses are contractual obligations or state mandates. 

Looking at a five-year budget history for the district, Howard pointed out a 0.2% increase in the average yearly salary budget. “That’s illustrating a district that is making continual reductions in personnel costs – that is FTE [full-time employee] reductions,” Howard said. The staffing and salary reductions over the last few years, mostly through attrition, have allowed for this minimal increase in costs over a five-year period, Howard explained. 

On the other hand, the district has seen higher-than-average increases in areas that are sensitive to inflation, including materials and supplies, and contractual costs. Howard also explained that the district has recently invested more in its facilities, and has therefore transferred more into its capital funds to maintain its buildings than it has in the past. 

Looking to 2025-26, the district’s expenditures considerations include increases to health insurance premium costs (approximately 2.5% for individuals and .02% for families) and salaries (2%), and an anticipated increase of approximately 3.5% for BOCES tuition, due to inflationary pressures. The district’s teacher retirement system (TRS) rate is expected to decrease slightly. 

Regarding capital improvements to district buildings, a Five-Year Master Facility Plan has been developed based on a recent building condition survey, as well as input from teams within the Buildings and Grounds department. The capital plan includes work to be done at district buildings, plus a “Transportation and Maintenance Complex.” Howard discussed the district’s methods for paying for this work, which include budgetary appropriations (almost $4 million in 2024-25 budget), capital reserves (surplus funds of just over $2 million) and an outstanding bond balance of over $44 million. The district will also see a “falling off” of debt service in 2025-27, which will allow for additional bond work, Howard said. 

For expected revenue, state aid will be determined when the executive budget is approved in April. Howard expects to see a 0.2% ($41,122) increase in budgeted state aid from last year. “It’s likely to go up from there,” Howard explained, but we should not expect a significant increase. 

Additionally, Howard presented a chart that lists income from Bellerose Avenue Elementary School due to a signed 10-year lease agreement with Variety Child Learning Center. The district will make $267,785 from the Bellerose lease in 2025-26, which is phase one of a three-phase lease. By 2027-28, the district will receive over $716,000 in revenue through the lease. 

The income made from Dickinson Avenue Elementary School was not included because the lease with BOCES is currently for only one year. Moyer stated, however, that with the amount of money BOCES has committed to that facility, “it’s highly unlikely that they won’t extend.” There’s already an increase in student need since the program began in the building, Moyer added.

The budget process will unfold in the coming weeks, with the following meeting schedule:

February 13: Non-Instructional Budget and Technology Master Plan
March 6: Instructional Budget
April 10: Revenue and Fund Balance Reserves, Preliminary Public Hearing
April 22: Finalize Budget
May 8: Hearing on Finalized Budget
May 20: Budget Vote

Also on the ballot this year is the selection of BOE trustees, as the terms of three board members – Larry Licopoli, Allison Noonan and Thomas Loughran – are up. Candidate packets are due to the district clerk by Monday, April 21. The PTA’s annual Meet the Candidates forum is scheduled for Monday, May 5. 

To view the January 23 BOE meeting and budget overview presentation, click here. Tonight’s BOE presentation and meeting can be viewed in person, at 7pm, at the Brosnan building or via Zoom.