Long Island school taxes to rise an average of 2.2%
Brentwood schools Superintendent Richard Loeschner, whose 19,000-student system, Long Island's largest, is calling for a zero tax increase. The district has been buoyed by increases in state aid. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Early estimates from Long Island's 124 school districts show that school taxes would rise an average of 2.2% during the next academic year, with a wide range of proposals that would have taxpayers in some districts getting cuts or freezes in their bills, while some others face substantial increases, a Newsday analysis finds.
Brentwood, the region's largest district, is calling for a zero tax increase for the fourth consecutive year in 2023-24. Thirteen other systems also project freezes in tax collections known as levies, while Elmont and Freeport propose small reductions, according to district data provided by the state Comptroller's Office.
Bob Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, noted on the positive side that the great majority of districts are keeping within limits of the state's tax cap law, which took effect 10 years ago. That law sets a statewide baseline limit of 2% on next year's tax increases, while assigning higher or lower limits to individual districts depending on local fiscal circumstances.
"The big story, I think, is that 98 percent of the schools are staying at their cap or below," Vecchio said. "The message here is that, when the state does invest in education, it does keep the local costs down."
Seventeen districts propose tax hikes between 3% and 4%, while an additional seven project increases over 4%.
The steepest requests come from small districts in the Island's East End, where overall property taxes are relatively lower than in Nassau County and western Suffolk. For example, Montauk projects a 10.7% rise; Greenport, 8.28%, according to Comptroller's data.
Springs and Wainscott both reported they will seek voter overrides of state-imposed tax caps. Springs seeks a 2.76% increase. Wainscott officials said they would set their final rate request at a later date, at a yet-to-be determined point higher than the district’s 2.83% allowable tax-cap limit.
Under state law, overrides require local voter majorities of at least 60%. Voting this year is scheduled for May 16.
Regional school leaders said inflation is driving rate-hike requests. One major example cited by school business managers is a projected jump of about 14% in premiums charged by the New York State Health Insurance Program, which covers thousands of teachers and other government employees.
Individual districts face varying levels of pressure, depending on how much state financial aid they receive to help mitigate costs. For next year, the state is due to pump a record-breaking $775 million into public schools on the Island alone — an increase of 19%.
Most of that assistance comes in the form of "foundation" aid, which is focused especially on the needs of students who are economically disadvantaged. For this reason, many low-wealth districts report they can keep tax requests down next year. More affluent systems often say they must boost rates.
Overall, school taxation is due to rise a little faster across the Nassau-Suffolk region in 2023-24 than it did this school year, Newsday's review found. Newsday's survey covered district plans for more than $9.5 billion in total property taxes Islandwide.
Under the cap law, districts must report tax plans to the comptroller's office each year by March 1. The idea is to provide taxpayers and others with an "early alert" system that they can use in deciding how to vote on proposed budgets and tax levies.
Those preliminary estimates generally serve as a reasonably accurate barometer of tax trends. Nonetheless, some rates tend to be adjusted downward between March and May. Newsday's report drew on data updated on Friday.
Earlier this month, both Connetquot and South Country sent statements to Newsday indicating that they plan to trim tax requests at a later date. Connetquot initially told the comptroller's office it might seek its maximum allowable increase of 4.68%; South Country, its maximum increase of 4.64%.
As for Connetquot, "That figure will not be finalized until the official budget is approved by the Board of Education on April 18," wrote Robert Hauser, the district's assistant superintendent for business and operations.
South Country's superintendent, Antonio Santana, stated, "With six weeks left in the budget development process, South Country, like all other districts, is still working on important components of the budget."
School taxation accounts for more than 60% of homeowners' tax bills — a major economic consideration on the Island where property taxes are among the nation's highest. A September report by the Tax Foundation, a nonprofit Washington, D.C., think tank, listed Nassau County among eight counties in the nation with the highest median property taxes.
Median household taxes exceeded $10,000 per year in 2020 in all those counties, the Tax Foundation reported. Suffolk was close behind with a median of $9,598.
"New Yorkers pay among the highest taxes in the country," said state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli in an introduction to tax issues posted on his agency's website. "It's important to have transparency so citizens are empowered with information they need to hold their elected officials accountable."
Some taxpayer advocates contend that districts are not doing enough to hold down rates, given the latest infusions of outside financial assistance.
"It seems to me that school districts have been drowned with money, state and federal," said Andrea Vecchio, an East Islip homeowner and longtime critic of school tax levels. "So I don't see why there should be any increases. Taxpayers are forgotten people."
Vecchio is a founder of Long Islanders for Education Reform, a regional advocacy group. She is no relation to Bob Vecchio of the school boards association.
New York State is wrapping up a historic three-year drive aimed at providing all students, including the poorest, with enough aid money to ensure a "sound, basic" education. The effort is having a dramatic effect in low-wealth districts.
Brentwood, for example, would receive an aid boost next year of $78.4 million as part of a statewide budget recently proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul. That assistance would be equivalent to nearly 16% of Brentwood's current budget.
Richard Loeschner, superintendent of the 19,000-student system, said aid already obtained is allowing the district's high school to operate on an expanded, nine-period school day, similar to those offered by most other high schools around the Island. Next year, Brentwood expects to add nine-period days at its four middle schools.
Expanded class schedules, Loeschner said, will allow Brentwood to provide seventh- and eighth-graders with extra classes in languages, art and music, as well as with Regents-level courses in algebra and science that are normally taught in high school. All this can be done while holding taxes level, he said.
"Our grocery bills are up, fuel costs are incredible this year, including the gas we put in our cars," Loeschner said. "So to be able to go out to the school community in recent years and say we're going to have zero tax increases is just wonderful. This community, many of them are hourly workers, and as you know, they're the hardest hit."
Some affluent systems reported, on the other hand, that they were facing challenges coping with inflation. Such districts receive relatively little state aid and depend more on local property taxes.
Jericho, with 3,100 students, expects an aid increase next year of $2.96 million, equivalent to 2.3% of its current budget. Superintendent Hank Grishman said that, for next year, the district will pay an extra $2.6 million for health insurance, along with $700,000 more for bus transportation.
To help meet such costs, Jericho is proposing a 2.77% boost in taxes. The district noted that the figure, while up from last year's zero increase, is well short of the 4.37% hike that could have been proposed under the cap system.
Grishman said his district, which ranks among the highest-achieving academically in the nation, appreciated the additional state aid allotted for next year. He added, however, that "the challenge of maintaining a reasonable tax levy is the greatest we've seen in many, many years."
Early estimates from Long Island's 124 school districts show that school taxes would rise an average of 2.2% during the next academic year, with a wide range of proposals that would have taxpayers in some districts getting cuts or freezes in their bills, while some others face substantial increases, a Newsday analysis finds.
Brentwood, the region's largest district, is calling for a zero tax increase for the fourth consecutive year in 2023-24. Thirteen other systems also project freezes in tax collections known as levies, while Elmont and Freeport propose small reductions, according to district data provided by the state Comptroller's Office.
Bob Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, noted on the positive side that the great majority of districts are keeping within limits of the state's tax cap law, which took effect 10 years ago. That law sets a statewide baseline limit of 2% on next year's tax increases, while assigning higher or lower limits to individual districts depending on local fiscal circumstances.
"The big story, I think, is that 98 percent of the schools are staying at their cap or below," Vecchio said. "The message here is that, when the state does invest in education, it does keep the local costs down."
WHAT TO KNOW
- School taxes across Long Island are due to rise an average of 2.2% during the 2023-24 school year, Newsday finds in an analysis of preliminary district estimates.
- More than a dozen districts plan tax freezes or reductions with an assist from state financial aid. Other districts with less state aid cite inflationary pressures as a reason for boosting taxes.
- Nassau County ranks among eight counties nationwide with the biggest median property taxes, according to a Washington, D.C., think tank. Suffolk County not far behind.
Seventeen districts propose tax hikes between 3% and 4%, while an additional seven project increases over 4%.
The steepest requests come from small districts in the Island's East End, where overall property taxes are relatively lower than in Nassau County and western Suffolk. For example, Montauk projects a 10.7% rise; Greenport, 8.28%, according to Comptroller's data.
Springs and Wainscott both reported they will seek voter overrides of state-imposed tax caps. Springs seeks a 2.76% increase. Wainscott officials said they would set their final rate request at a later date, at a yet-to-be determined point higher than the district’s 2.83% allowable tax-cap limit.
Under state law, overrides require local voter majorities of at least 60%. Voting this year is scheduled for May 16.
Regional school leaders said inflation is driving rate-hike requests. One major example cited by school business managers is a projected jump of about 14% in premiums charged by the New York State Health Insurance Program, which covers thousands of teachers and other government employees.
Individual districts face varying levels of pressure, depending on how much state financial aid they receive to help mitigate costs. For next year, the state is due to pump a record-breaking $775 million into public schools on the Island alone — an increase of 19%.
Most of that assistance comes in the form of "foundation" aid, which is focused especially on the needs of students who are economically disadvantaged. For this reason, many low-wealth districts report they can keep tax requests down next year. More affluent systems often say they must boost rates.
Students in a Valley Stream classroom last April. Credit: Kendall Rodriguez
Adjustments still possible
Overall, school taxation is due to rise a little faster across the Nassau-Suffolk region in 2023-24 than it did this school year, Newsday's review found. Newsday's survey covered district plans for more than $9.5 billion in total property taxes Islandwide.
Under the cap law, districts must report tax plans to the comptroller's office each year by March 1. The idea is to provide taxpayers and others with an "early alert" system that they can use in deciding how to vote on proposed budgets and tax levies.
Those preliminary estimates generally serve as a reasonably accurate barometer of tax trends. Nonetheless, some rates tend to be adjusted downward between March and May. Newsday's report drew on data updated on Friday.
Earlier this month, both Connetquot and South Country sent statements to Newsday indicating that they plan to trim tax requests at a later date. Connetquot initially told the comptroller's office it might seek its maximum allowable increase of 4.68%; South Country, its maximum increase of 4.64%.
As for Connetquot, "That figure will not be finalized until the official budget is approved by the Board of Education on April 18," wrote Robert Hauser, the district's assistant superintendent for business and operations.
South Country's superintendent, Antonio Santana, stated, "With six weeks left in the budget development process, South Country, like all other districts, is still working on important components of the budget."
High taxes in the spotlight
School taxation accounts for more than 60% of homeowners' tax bills — a major economic consideration on the Island where property taxes are among the nation's highest. A September report by the Tax Foundation, a nonprofit Washington, D.C., think tank, listed Nassau County among eight counties in the nation with the highest median property taxes.
Median household taxes exceeded $10,000 per year in 2020 in all those counties, the Tax Foundation reported. Suffolk was close behind with a median of $9,598.
"New Yorkers pay among the highest taxes in the country," said state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli in an introduction to tax issues posted on his agency's website. "It's important to have transparency so citizens are empowered with information they need to hold their elected officials accountable."
Some taxpayer advocates contend that districts are not doing enough to hold down rates, given the latest infusions of outside financial assistance.
Andrea Vecchio, of East Islip, is critical of the Island's school tax levels.
Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
"It seems to me that school districts have been drowned with money, state and federal," said Andrea Vecchio, an East Islip homeowner and longtime critic of school tax levels. "So I don't see why there should be any increases. Taxpayers are forgotten people."
Vecchio is a founder of Long Islanders for Education Reform, a regional advocacy group. She is no relation to Bob Vecchio of the school boards association.
Impact of state aid varies
New York State is wrapping up a historic three-year drive aimed at providing all students, including the poorest, with enough aid money to ensure a "sound, basic" education. The effort is having a dramatic effect in low-wealth districts.
Brentwood, for example, would receive an aid boost next year of $78.4 million as part of a statewide budget recently proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul. That assistance would be equivalent to nearly 16% of Brentwood's current budget.
Richard Loeschner, superintendent of the 19,000-student system, said aid already obtained is allowing the district's high school to operate on an expanded, nine-period school day, similar to those offered by most other high schools around the Island. Next year, Brentwood expects to add nine-period days at its four middle schools.
Expanded class schedules, Loeschner said, will allow Brentwood to provide seventh- and eighth-graders with extra classes in languages, art and music, as well as with Regents-level courses in algebra and science that are normally taught in high school. All this can be done while holding taxes level, he said.
"Our grocery bills are up, fuel costs are incredible this year, including the gas we put in our cars," Loeschner said. "So to be able to go out to the school community in recent years and say we're going to have zero tax increases is just wonderful. This community, many of them are hourly workers, and as you know, they're the hardest hit."
Jericho Schools Superintendent Hank Grishman. The district is proposing a 2.77% boost in taxes. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Some affluent systems reported, on the other hand, that they were facing challenges coping with inflation. Such districts receive relatively little state aid and depend more on local property taxes.
Jericho, with 3,100 students, expects an aid increase next year of $2.96 million, equivalent to 2.3% of its current budget. Superintendent Hank Grishman said that, for next year, the district will pay an extra $2.6 million for health insurance, along with $700,000 more for bus transportation.
To help meet such costs, Jericho is proposing a 2.77% boost in taxes. The district noted that the figure, while up from last year's zero increase, is well short of the 4.37% hike that could have been proposed under the cap system.
Grishman said his district, which ranks among the highest-achieving academically in the nation, appreciated the additional state aid allotted for next year. He added, however, that "the challenge of maintaining a reasonable tax levy is the greatest we've seen in many, many years."
