Initiatives in curriculum, facility improvement, district safety, instructional technology, and staffing for the Manhasset School District’s 2025-2026 budget were presented to the Board of Education.
During the Dec. 19 meeting of the Board of Education, Manhasset School District Superintendent Gaurav Passi presented the board with a budget calendar while discussing factors that will influence the coming budget.
Passi presented several items under consideration for the upcoming budget. He made it clear that it is “too early to tell what our budget will be able to accommodate”
Curriculum initiatives include expanding available clubs and academic teams at the Manhasset Secondary School, as well as expanding course offerings to students.
In addition, Passi proposed buying more textbooks as well as digitizing test preparation for state-level math and English exams. Finally it was recommended to increase the amount of musical instruments.
The potential financial effect on the budget would be $60,000, according to Passi.
For improvements for facilities several items including replenishing the repair reserve, painting the Secondary School, a building conditions survey, and adding a gator for snow removal are all being evaluated according to Passi.
The potential financial impact on the budget would be $250,000, according to Passi.
Passi presented several initiatives for security and safety measures in the district. Proposals include a contract with an “expert in school security with a deep background in law enforcement” responsible for day-to-day operations of district security personnel,” Passi said.
Also proposed were a student attendance swipe system to log attendance rates and a visitor management system that would require visitors to the school to swipe their driver’s license and have it run against state and federal databases, which would also be tied to the student management system.
The potential financial effect on the budget would be $200,000, according to Passi.
The district already has a provision in the budget for its technology equipment rotation schedule, but costs have risen over the past few years, Passi said.
In addition, the district is looking to increase the number of copiers at elementary schools as well as expand software titles to include software for the Human Resources Department and academic departments.
The estimated financial impact on the budget would be $250,000, according to Passi.
For staffing initiatives, Passi said the district is looking to maintain class sizes at least two below the state guideline of 26 in Grades 5-6, increase clerical support at the Secondary School, and increase instructional staffing districtwide to support enrollment.
The impact on the budget of these proposals is unknown at this time, according to Passi. After his presentation, members of the board asked questions about the initiatives. They unanimously voted to approve the budget calendar.
In other news, the district finalized its decision to opt out of the regionalization planning process. Districts that opt out of the planning process by Jan. 15 will not be required to participate in any regionalization implementation.
In November, the Manhasset Board of Education unanimously opted to enter into an Article 78 filing along with several other Long Island school districts challenging the state education department’s initiative.
