The Manhasset School District is proposing a 3.38% budget increase with a 3.11% tax increase, but Superintendent Gaurav Passi said these expense rises are predominantly going toward curriculum, technology, facilities and other initiatives.
“I’m confident that you’ll see that this budget represents a strategic investment in our students, educators and facilities, ensuring we remain aligned with our district’s mission and vision,” Passi said. “It’s designed to sustain the excellence we’re known for while planning for the future.”
The Manhasset Public School continued its preliminary budget discussions for the 2025-2026 school year at the Board of Education meeting Thursday, March 20.
The Manhasset Public Schools is proposing a budget of $115,043,231 for the 2025-2026 school year. This is a budget-to-budget increase of $3,757,024, or 3.38%.
The district’s tax levy increase is capped at 3.11%, which the district is proposing to implement with its proposed budget.
About 74% of the district’s preliminary budget is attributed to employee compensation and benefits and 6% for special education. The remaining 20% funds everything else.
“Health insurance continues to be a volatile component of the budget,” Passi said, referencing the nearly constant cost increases over the past 15 years.
The district provides health insurance benefits for 370 active employees and 409 retirees.
But this year, Passi said the district received an “unusual” health insurance benefit cost reduction. He said this was due to an active employee rate freeze.
Of the budget increase proposed, 57% of it is attributed to curriculum, technology, facilities and district initiatives. The remaining 40% is for compensation, 2% for benefits and 1% for special education.
Passi said the district’s budget is centered on its priority areas of student growth, supporting growth for educators, connecting through strong relationships and upgrading security and facilities.
The district’s budget goals are to not only support these priority areas, but to also enhance academic programs and extracurriculars, infrastructure improvements and social and emotional support for students.
Passi said the budget supports many initiatives.
At the elementary level, this includes a new math coach position, increased math instruction time and teacher support.
As for curriculum, the budget also supports a new biomedical sciences pathway, expansion for the business pathway, a new virtual enterprise course, and additional classes for AP Comparative Government and Chinese 8.
Secondary school extracurricular expansions would include Vex Robotics competitions and additional clubs and academic teams.
Security and facility upgrades would include a contact with a professional security company for consulting services, a student attendance swipe system, a visitor management system, a painting schedule for the secondary school, a building conditions survey and a Gator for snow removal.
The district is also anticipating $5,459,958 in state aid, about a 1.83% increase, to fund its budget. Another $720,000 from the district’s appropriated fund balance would also go toward funding the budget.
“The strength of our instructional program continues to position Manhasset as a leader in education, and this budget supports our continued excellence while investing in our students, in our teachers and in our schools,” Passi said.
Budget increases include an additional $51,517 for information technology, $17,160 for curriculum and instruction, $50,931 for special education, $191,515 for facilities and $615,144 for contract transportation.
Passi said the district is approaching the final year of its transportation contact, which has a 5% increase for the final year. He said this is the reason for most of the cost increase.
He added that price increases for coach bus transportation for non-regional events have also led to transportation cost increases.
The district budget would also include the reduction of 1.9 full-time equivalent teaching positions and two full-time equivalent support staff positions, including one nurse assigned to private and parochial schools, Passi said.
Passi said staffing changes are in response to enrollment shifts, saying the district is still committed to staying below its classroom size maximums.
The district will host an informal budget hearing April 3 before the district adopts its budget April 10. A formal budget hearing will then be held May 8 before facing a community vote May 20.
