District cuts tax levy for 4th straight year

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For the fourth straight year, the Freeport School District has proposed a budget that lowers the tax levy — the total amount that the district must raise in taxes to meet expenses.
In 2018-19, the district plans to decrease the levy by 0.12 percent, officials said at an April 17 meeting at the Caroline G. Atkinson Intermediate School. The district has lowered its levy six of the last 11 years. In total, it has increased the levy by 1.2 percent, according to Superintendent Kishore Kuncham.
The district’s current $175 million budget is slated to rise to roughly $179 million in 2018-19 — a 2.80 percent increase. The spending plan includes:

  • A $1 million increase for staffing positions.
  • A $2.3 million for BOCES services, special education, 
  • A $1.6 million for facilities, transportation and textbooks. 

New York State will provide about $78 million in education aid for Freeport Schools in 2018-19. That represents a nearly $4.4 million —increase over the current year.
Board trustees discussed capital improvement projects expected to take place over the course of the year. Funds from capital reserves will cover district wide renovations. One of the projects also includes security upgrades throughout the district and includes the new security director who started working in the district in April.
Freeport Board of Education trustee Ernest Kight Jr. is also running for the school board unopposed. The Board of Education will have a budget public hearing on May 8. The budget vote will take place Tuesday, May 15.