Results show majority of Long Island school budgets approved
Malverne High School senior Olivia Brown, 18, votes in Tuesday's school budget election as part of a Participation in Government course. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Most Long Island school budgets won voter approval in early returns Tuesday night, while Elwood and Shelter Island lost their attempts to pierce state-imposed tax caps.
Budget approvals, as usual, were by lopsided margins. For example, Bay Shore’s spending plan passed 858-282, Mineola 560-175, Center Moriches 646-333 and Island Trees 382-115.
“Overall, very very positive results,” said Robert Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, in a phone interview. He described the results as evidence of public support for what he called high-quality education on Long Island.
Of the Island's 124 districts, 122 saw their 2025-26 spending plans approved Tuesday.
Shelter Island, Hicksville and Elwood had sought to pierce their tax caps, which required approval of a 60% voter majority.
Shelter Island’s majority was 54.8%; Elwood’s was 54.2%. Meanwhile, Hicksville did succeed in its cap-override effort, with a 65.3% margin. Hicksville had proposed tax levy increases of 2.54% in 2025-26, 3.31% in 2026-27 and 2.97% in 2027-28.
Elwood issued a statement thanking its community for voting.
District spending proposals on Long Island for the 2025-26 school year totaled a combined $16.36 billion — up 3.68% from the current year — as many districts pushed for expanded career training and other instruction, while also providing for renovation of classrooms, gyms and other aging facilities.
A total of 335 school board candidates were also on the ballot, as were more than 100 special propositions.
If all budgets had been approved, property taxes across the Nassau-Suffolk region would have risen to $10 billion, or an increase of 2.3%, with state financial aid picking up a larger share of educational costs.
On Tuesday afternoon, a parking lot in front of the Elwood middle school polling site was filled at 3 p.m., as voters drove in and out. Several told a reporter they had reservations about the override attempt, while others defended the district’s approach.
Elwood had sought a 4.2% tax levy increase.
“I think a 4.2% increase is astronomical,” said William DeMuccio, a retired financial manager who had just cast his ballot.
Another voter, Jennifer Kern, a PTA co-president at the district's James H. Boyd Intermediate School, said she found the budget presentations of district officials convincing.
“The district was very transparent in explaining the budget, so I felt good about supporting it,” said Kern, the mother of a fifth grader.
In East Meadow, there was a steady flow of voters trickling in and out of George McVey Elementary School shortly after 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
Several voters walked in to cast their vote in support of the district’s $271,288,003 spending plan, which is up 7.87%. The tax levy will increase by 3.26%.
“I support the budget because it funds education for the next generation and East Meadow does an incredible job educating children,” said Eileen Bensen, a longtime resident. “We support public education.”
Barbara Neill, 69, who expressed support for the budget, said her children went to East Meadow schools and so will her grandchildren.
“We have to keep up with everything education-wise, building and maintenance and teachers need raises,” Neill said.
While she noted that taxes will increase, she stressed the importance of funding education.
“It is a concern, but you have to do what you have to do,” she said. “To survive here you have to have a good salary and keep working.”
Increasing taxes was a deal breaker for others, however.
“I’m a senior citizen, so my kids are out of school now. It’s going to be helpful if we could reduce the budget and be able manage our taxes,” Anita Tufano said. “I understand why people want to increase the budget for their children’s education and enhancement, but I’m at a different stage of my life.”
Tufano, 72, said it would be great if the district could lower the tax impact on residents.
“I always keep seeing our taxes going up and up, and it’s a little discouraging for us,” she said.
Districts surveyed by Newsday in recent weeks found that half of respondents were at least somewhat optimistic over their financial prospects for the next several years, though an increasing number reported they were either uncertain or pessimistic about the future.
Some districts indicated concern over possible cuts in federal school aid or other funding. However, federal education funding represents a relatively small share of school revenues on Long Island — about 4.5% compared to a 30% share for state financial assistance.
A total of 114 systems responded to the survey, up from 104 last year. Of those respondents, 50% expressed optimism about their future finances, 32% uncertainty and 18% pessimism. Comparable figures from polling last year were 56%, 28% and 16%, respectively.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers have approved an aid increase of more than $1.7 billion for schools statewide next year, but some school officials expressed concern over an inserted budgetary “superpower” rule that would let the state withhold aid if it faces a fiscal deficit of $2 billion or more. Hochul aides said the provision is meant to protect the state’s finances.
On the Island, some longtime school leaders said the budgetary maneuver reminded them of what happened in 1990, when the state got caught up in a nationwide economic slump. At the time, then-Gov. Mario Cuomo and legislators imposed mid-year school aid cuts of $190 million. Local officials described the unanticipated cuts as highly disruptive.
With Darwin Yanes and Lee Meyer
Most Long Island school budgets won voter approval in early returns Tuesday night, while Elwood and Shelter Island lost their attempts to pierce state-imposed tax caps.
Budget approvals, as usual, were by lopsided margins. For example, Bay Shore’s spending plan passed 858-282, Mineola 560-175, Center Moriches 646-333 and Island Trees 382-115.
“Overall, very very positive results,” said Robert Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, in a phone interview. He described the results as evidence of public support for what he called high-quality education on Long Island.
Of the Island's 124 districts, 122 saw their 2025-26 spending plans approved Tuesday.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- Voters Tuesday were asked to weigh in on district spending proposals for the 2025-26 school year totaling a combined $16.36 billion — up 3.68% from the current year.
- A total of 335 school board candidates were also on the ballot in the Island's 124 districts, along with more than 100 special propositions.
- Three districts sought permission to override their state-mandated property tax caps, which required 60% majority voter approval.
Shelter Island, Hicksville and Elwood had sought to pierce their tax caps, which required approval of a 60% voter majority.
Shelter Island’s majority was 54.8%; Elwood’s was 54.2%. Meanwhile, Hicksville did succeed in its cap-override effort, with a 65.3% margin. Hicksville had proposed tax levy increases of 2.54% in 2025-26, 3.31% in 2026-27 and 2.97% in 2027-28.
Elwood issued a statement thanking its community for voting.
District spending proposals on Long Island for the 2025-26 school year totaled a combined $16.36 billion — up 3.68% from the current year — as many districts pushed for expanded career training and other instruction, while also providing for renovation of classrooms, gyms and other aging facilities.
A total of 335 school board candidates were also on the ballot, as were more than 100 special propositions.
If all budgets had been approved, property taxes across the Nassau-Suffolk region would have risen to $10 billion, or an increase of 2.3%, with state financial aid picking up a larger share of educational costs.
Voters weigh in
On Tuesday afternoon, a parking lot in front of the Elwood middle school polling site was filled at 3 p.m., as voters drove in and out. Several told a reporter they had reservations about the override attempt, while others defended the district’s approach.
Elwood had sought a 4.2% tax levy increase.
“I think a 4.2% increase is astronomical,” said William DeMuccio, a retired financial manager who had just cast his ballot.
Another voter, Jennifer Kern, a PTA co-president at the district's James H. Boyd Intermediate School, said she found the budget presentations of district officials convincing.
“The district was very transparent in explaining the budget, so I felt good about supporting it,” said Kern, the mother of a fifth grader.
In East Meadow, there was a steady flow of voters trickling in and out of George McVey Elementary School shortly after 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
Several voters walked in to cast their vote in support of the district’s $271,288,003 spending plan, which is up 7.87%. The tax levy will increase by 3.26%.
“I support the budget because it funds education for the next generation and East Meadow does an incredible job educating children,” said Eileen Bensen, a longtime resident. “We support public education.”
Barbara Neill, 69, who expressed support for the budget, said her children went to East Meadow schools and so will her grandchildren.
“We have to keep up with everything education-wise, building and maintenance and teachers need raises,” Neill said.
While she noted that taxes will increase, she stressed the importance of funding education.
“It is a concern, but you have to do what you have to do,” she said. “To survive here you have to have a good salary and keep working.”
Increasing taxes was a deal breaker for others, however.
“I’m a senior citizen, so my kids are out of school now. It’s going to be helpful if we could reduce the budget and be able manage our taxes,” Anita Tufano said. “I understand why people want to increase the budget for their children’s education and enhancement, but I’m at a different stage of my life.”
Tufano, 72, said it would be great if the district could lower the tax impact on residents.
“I always keep seeing our taxes going up and up, and it’s a little discouraging for us,” she said.
Some optimism, but also uncertainty
Districts surveyed by Newsday in recent weeks found that half of respondents were at least somewhat optimistic over their financial prospects for the next several years, though an increasing number reported they were either uncertain or pessimistic about the future.
Some districts indicated concern over possible cuts in federal school aid or other funding. However, federal education funding represents a relatively small share of school revenues on Long Island — about 4.5% compared to a 30% share for state financial assistance.
A total of 114 systems responded to the survey, up from 104 last year. Of those respondents, 50% expressed optimism about their future finances, 32% uncertainty and 18% pessimism. Comparable figures from polling last year were 56%, 28% and 16%, respectively.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers have approved an aid increase of more than $1.7 billion for schools statewide next year, but some school officials expressed concern over an inserted budgetary “superpower” rule that would let the state withhold aid if it faces a fiscal deficit of $2 billion or more. Hochul aides said the provision is meant to protect the state’s finances.
On the Island, some longtime school leaders said the budgetary maneuver reminded them of what happened in 1990, when the state got caught up in a nationwide economic slump. At the time, then-Gov. Mario Cuomo and legislators imposed mid-year school aid cuts of $190 million. Local officials described the unanticipated cuts as highly disruptive.
With Darwin Yanes and Lee Meyer
John Hildebrand is Newsday's senior education writer and has covered school news and policy issues affecting Long Island for more than 40 years.
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