Sachem School District 1 Of 2 On LI To See Budget Defeated

SACHEM, NY — After the proposed Sachem Central School District's proposed budget for 2024 to 2025 failed to pass by the 60 percent majority needed to pierce the cap — the district was one of six on Long Island seeking to pierce the tax cap, and only one of two to see the budget defeated — a new vote has been scheduled for June 18, district officials said.

When the votes were tallied, 4176 voted "yes" for the budget, with 4127 "no votes," with 48.5 percent of the voters casting ballots to pass the budget.

The district can hold a new vote and propose either the same, or a revised, budget; if the vote fails a second time, the district will be forced to adopt a contingency budget and face program cuts.

Sachem, along with West Babylon, saw their budgets defeated: Each of the four other districts where proposed budgets would pierce the cap: East Hampton, Springs, Amagansett and Port Washington, saw their budgets pass.

A proposition to use reserves for Sachem softball field reconstruction passed, 4,230 to 3,938.

Three Board of Education candidates were running unopposed: Michael Isernia received 4,091 votes, Vincent Reynolds, 4,218 and Sabrina Pitkewicz, 4,127.

The proposed $377,326,912 budget reflected a 3.70 increase as well as a 4.87 tax levy increase.

"After careful consideration, the district has proposed a 2024 to 2025 school budget designed to preserve the strong educational, co-curricular and health and safety programs established in recent years," the BOE wrote in its budget message. "The budget carries a tax levy increase of 4.87 percent. As this would pierce Sachem Central School District’s tax cap, a supermajority, 60 percent, of voter support is needed."

The message added: "This year’s budget development process brought many uncertainties and fiscal challenges, including a nearly $3 million decrease in expected state aid allocations, double-digit percentage increases in expenditures beyond the district’s control, and the elimination of COVID relief grants that created a budget deficit beyond what could be filled within the district’s allowable tax cap. Throughout the development process, the district examined various budget options. To reach a budget that carries a tax levy within the allowable cap, the district would have to make large reductions across all areas. The $3 million in reductions would have significant impact on programs, services and opportunities for students K-12, which is why the district wanted to give the community a chance to vote on a budget absent of such reductions first."

According to Newsday, the district planned cuts of 60 staff positions, made up of teaching positions, as well as clerical and custodial jobs, "through several means such as retirements, excessing and restructuring." Newsday added that 12 teaching assistant positions would also be cut, using layoffs and restructuring.