Hewlett-Woodmere reduces tax levy

Applying finalized state aid money, the Hewlett-Woodmere School District’s Board of Education voted unanimously at the July 1 meeting to approve a reduction of the school district’s tax for the 2021-2022 school.

Originally, the board adopted a 1.95 percent tax levy increase – $2,068,359 – to $108, 341,484 as part of the budget proposal that district residents approved on May 11. The tax levy is the amount of money the district collects in property taxes.

Now with a more than $3 million bump in state aid to $14,284,820, the district applied the money to reducing the tax levy to 1.65 percent, now a $1,758,820 uptick over the 2020-2021 school year.

“Final state aid allocations were not yet solidified when the district was developing the budget for the 2021-2022 school year,” Superintendent Ralph Marino Jr. stated in a news release. “Once we received notice of our final aid allocations it was important to the Board of Education and the district to lower the tax levy and return some of the funds to our community members.”

Assistant Superintendent for Business Marie Donnelly said that $872,286 of the projected aid is specifically to be used for the pre-kindergarten program. 

For more information about the district’s 2021-2022 school budget, go to www.hewlett-woodmere.net or contact Donnelly, at (516) 792-4803.