School Budgets Pass In All But Four Long Island Districts

School budgets were largely passed - many by wide margins - on Long Island, though several districts may have to revise their spending plans or be forced to adopt contingency budgets.

All but four school districts on Long Island passed their budgets.
Photo Credit: *Flickr*

Zak Failla

05/20/2021 3:30 p.m.

In total, voters approved 116 school budgets on Long Island on Tuesday, May 18, leaving just four districts - Bridgehampton, Northport-East Northport Three Village, Wantagh - that did not pass.

Of those four, three - Bridgehampton, Three Village, and Wantagh - sought to override the state tax cap. Two other school districts in Sagaponack and Islip also sought to override the tax levy, which requires a 60 percent majority vote, which was both approved by voters.

Bridgeport, Wantagh, and Three Village all came close to the 60 percent threshold, with each earning a majority but not hitting the necessary vote total.

In Northport-East Northport, the budget failed by a 2,069 to 1,902 tally.

Districts experiencing a budget defeat have the option of revoting on the same budget, revoting on a revised budget, or skipping a revote and adopting a “contingency budget” that freezes taxes at the previous year’s level.

The proposed increases will see taxes go up an average of 1.3 percent per district, the lowest rate in five years. The new spending plans cover the 2021-2022 fiscal year, which officially begins on Thursday, July 1.

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