Glen Cove City School District has proposed a $118.1 million budget for the 2025-2026 school year and plans on using district reserves to balance a $1.5 million budget gap. The proposed budget, which is an approximate $4.7 million increase from the 2024-2025 budget, reflects changes in insurance, staffing, supply and special education costs.
Plans to bridge the budget gap were announced at the board of education meeting on Wednesday, April 9.
“The last budget meeting, we spoke about our budget gap,” said Theresa Kahan, assistant superintendent for business.
“By using reserves that we have on hand—our employees’ retirement system, our teachers’ retirement system and our employee benefits reserves—we are filling that gap,” she said.
Last year, the district passed a $113.4 million budget with a tax levy of approximately $77.3 million. For the 2025-2026 budget, the district proposes a $118.1 million budget with a $79.6 million levy, indicating a budget increase of $4.7 million and a tax levy increase of over $2 million.
The district plans to stay under the tax cap, which limits the maximum allowable increase to residents’ school and property taxes, Kahan said. The tax cap The current year’s maximum tax levy increase is based on factors such as the current tax levy, tax base growth factor, and PILOT payments.
The district’s proposed 2.891% increase will total approximately $79.6 million, indicating an over $2 million tax levy increase if approved by the community. The maximum allowable tax levy increase for next year’s budget is almost 3.5%, totaling just over $80 million, Kahan said.
“The district has decided to levy less than the allowable limit,” Kahan said.
As of the 2024-2025 district enrollment data, calculated by the state in October, the district comprises 3,154 students. If the proposed $118.1 million expenditure budget is approved, the district will spend approximately $37,451 per pupil if enrollment remains steady, according to a calculation made by Schneps Media Long Island.
Kahan said there are three components to the district’s budget: administrative, capital, and programming allocations.
The proposed administrative budget accounts for approximately $8.9 million of the total budget, an increase from $8.6 million in the 2024-2025 school year.
Notable changes in the administrative budget include a decrease in the superintendent’s office, business office and accounting funds, which are a result of staffing changes, Kahan said.
Insurance costs have increased by approximately 20% due to the “overall increase in claims,” Kahan said.
The proposed capital component of the budget totals $11.4 million, an increase from $10.1 million in the 2024-2025 school year. Kahan said the “large increase” is due to additional staffing positions at Deasy and Landing schools and an increase in supply costs.
Kahan said the district plans to complete three capital projects, which will total $1 million. These include the removal and replacement of asbestos material in Finley Middle School, an upgrade to LED stadium lights and the addition of AC in the high school auditorium.
The proposed programming component is the largest portion of the budget and totals approximately $97.7 million, an increase from $94.6 million in 2024-2025.
Kahan said that due to staffing changes, select departments will see decreases in allocations. She said all open staff positions due to retirements will be filled.
Kahan said the rates for special education services, such as tuition in special education schools, evaluations and occupational and physical therapy, have increased.
The district’s next budget workshop will be on Wednesday, April 23. For more information, visit glencoveschools.org.
