Three out of Seven That Sought to Pierce Cap Failed
Three Village, Locust Valley Budgets Also Fail, Despite Staying Within Cap
By Hank Russell
One hundred eighteen of the 124 school budgets that went up for a vote passed on Tuesday. In addition, three out of the seven budgets that sought to pierce the tax cap were voted down.
It was previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics that five school districts — Bayport-Blue Point, Islip, Locust Valley, South Country and Three Village — had their budgets voted down. Both Locust Valley and Three Village’s proposed budgets were within their respective tax cap limits. Three Village and Locust Valley’s budgets were rejected, despite staying within the cap.
Although Bayport-Blue Point proposed less spending, the tax levy exceeded the district’s tax cap limit. The budget of $88,387,020 — a decrease of 0.85% from this year’s budget of $89,147,050 — failed by a vote of 679-568. The budget would have also pierced the district’s -0.76% tax levy by implementing a 2.75% increase to $63,862,845 from $62,153,623.
Islip’s proposed budget of $106,244,044 \was rejected by an 859-639 vote. It also included a 2.85% raise in the tax levy, exceeding the district’s tax cap of 2.22%, from $68,573,216 to $70,527,553.
By an 850-765 vote, the Locust Valley school budget was rejected. The budget would have increased 2% from $98,289,148 to $100,251,364 and stayed within the district’s 2.84% tax cap by raising the tax levy to 2.1% to $92,050,729 from $90,158,181.
South Country’s proposed budget of $147,164,277 failed by a vote of 2,747-1,105. The budget would have also far exceeded the district’s 5.52% tax cap by proposing a 13.45% tax levy of $81,113,604, up from $71,496,354 this year.
Lastly, the proposed Three Village school budget failed, 2,340-2,051. The budget would have increased by 2.87% from $238,151,502 to $244,980,092 and raised the tax levy by 4.54%, staying within the district’s tax cap, to $187,097,362 from $178,973,738.
The four that passed included Greenport, Lynbook, Shelter Island and Uniondale.
The proposed $25,995,000 budget for Greenport passed by a vote of 398-153. Despite a 3.58% decrease in spending, the budget includes a 7.91% tax increase to $20,343,000 from $18,851,280 during the 2025-2026 school year. This is more than double the district’s tax cap limit of 3.04%.
Lynbrook voters passed the $115,248,293 budget, 924-345. The budget includes a 1.97% jump in the tax levy from $78,895,593 to $80,447,925 — more than twice the cap of 0.95%.
Voters in Shelter Island passed its $13,573,689 budget by a margin of 549-256. The budget also exceeds the 2.20% tax cap limit, raising taxes by 6.78% to $12,538,689 from $11,742,232.
By a 718-451 margin, voters approved the Uniondale budget of $296,810,444. The budget also includes a 2% tax levy, raising taxes from $137,928,447 to $140,687,016 and piercing the district’s tax cap limit of -0.4%.
Results for the Roosevelt Union Free School District have not been reported as of press time.