In the face of a $1.7 million revenue shortfall, the Hicksville Public Schools Board of Education adopted a $180.8 million budget on Wednesday, April 23, that exceeds the district’s 3.35% tax levy cap and will require a supermajority vote to be passed by the community.
The board said in a statement after its final budget discussion meeting that it intended to exceed the cap to cover $1.7 million in spending that it said was essential to maintain the district’s education quality.
The district’s adopted budget totals $180,811,424, a 4.38% increase from its current budget of $173,222,743 – $7.6 million increase
School district officials said the adopted budget complies with the tax cap after adding $2.6 million from the reserve for debt service fund, but still requires the 60% approval of voters required by districts that exceed the state-mandated tax cap.
“While the proposed budget reflects a unique planning approach, it allows us to maximize revenue, preserve all essential programs and services for our students, and minimize the tax impact on residents,” Hicksville Superintendent Ted Fulton said.
In March, the district said proposed expenses exceeded revenues by $6.9 million.
The district said that to bridge the difference, they decided not to fill 15 teaching positions lost to retirement or resignation, and cut five teaching positions and eight teaching assistant positions.
The district also cut one administrative position and would not fill three clerical positions and one facilities position due to retirements. But that was still not enough.
“To eliminate the $1,700,000 deficit without severely impacting programs, the District must raise additional revenue. The only way the District can do so is by piercing the cap,” the district said in a slide presentation presented to the board.
This is the second straight year that Hicksville faced a deficit greater than $6 million.
At its final budget presentation, the district said it eliminated around $5 million from the deficit in both years through cost-cutting measures, efficiencies, resource reallocation, and strategic use of grant and reserve funding.
The remaining 2024-2025 budget shortfall in revenues versus expenses was balanced with a one-time interfund transfer revenue source from the capital fund.
The district said that using $2.64 million in reserves for debt would lower the tax levy to $118.5 million (a 2.54% increase), costing the average household a $138 increase in taxes.
If the district had approved a budget that didn’t pierce the tax cap, the tax levy would have met the 3.35% increase, which would mean an increase of $183 on average per household, district officials said.
If the approved budget does not reach 60% community approval, the district said there would be a revote in which the district does not pierce the tax cap, which would result in a tax levy increase of 3.35%. That proposal would only need 50% voter approval to pass. The district said it would have to cut an additional $1.7 million from the budget to balance it.
The budget vote and trustee election will be held on Tuesday, May 20, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Burns Avenue School, East Street School, Woodland School, Lee Avenue School, Fork Lane School, Dutch Lane School, and Old Country Road School.
