The Glen Cove City School District is proposing a series of program reductions — including eliminating a summer academic program, pausing a GED initiative and cutting conference and curriculum spending — as it works to close a $3.58 million budget gap in anticipation of the 2026-27 school year.
District officials outlined the cuts at the March 18 Board of Education meeting, emphasizing that they are designed to avoid impacts to classroom instruction while addressing a growing structural deficit.
Superintendent Alexa Doeschner said the district is responding to financial pressures that have developed over time, driven by slowing state aid growth, declining enrollment and past tax decisions.
“The gap between our revenue growth and our cost growth is the core of our challenge,” Doeschner said. “By making responsible cuts now, we will not be in a position to make drastic cuts.”
The first phase of reductions includes ending a summer academic program that was funded by federal Covid relief money, reducing administrator and teacher conference spending by 50 percent, and curtailing most curriculum writing work except for new-course development.
The district will also pause its Twilight Program, a GED initiative with 29 students enrolled and an average daily attendance of about five, according to administrators. Additional measures include adjusting staffing levels based on enrollment, reassigning teaching assistants and monitors to reduce reliance on outside agencies, and scaling back supply and postage budgets.
At the same time, officials stressed that key academic and student support services will not be affected. The district will not cut classroom teaching, Advanced Placement courses, special-education services, athletics, extracurricular activities, counseling services or arts programs.
“We are not cutting core classroom teaching because that will remain untouched,” Doeschner said, adding that decisions are being made with “one overriding principle of protecting the classroom experience.”
A number of factors have contributed to the district’s budget gap. After several years of large increases, state foundation aid has stabilized. Glen Cove saw increases of more than 30 percent annually between 2021 and 2024, but the projected increase for 2026-27 is just 2.04 percent, or about $468,000.
Meanwhile, costs continue to rise rapidly. Health insurance is expected to increase by 10 percent next school year and transportation by 8 percent, and the rate of inflation is exceeding the rate at which the district’s revenue is growing.
Declining enrollment is also affecting revenue. The district has lost roughly 300 students over the past decade, including about 145 in the last two years, resulting in less state aid and a higher calculation of wealth per pupil, which reduces the state’s share of funding.
The district’s tax levying practices have also contributed to the budget gap. In three of the past six years, the district budgeted tax increases that were below the allowable cap, leaving $1.7 million in potential revenue uncollected. Officials said those decisions were made “in good faith to protect taxpayers,” but have lowered the starting point for future tax calculations.
Despite these challenges, district officials said, Glen Cove remains financially stable. The district recently received an AA2 credit rating from Moody’s, placing it among the state’s highest-rated school systems.
“That reflects strong financial management, healthy reserves and a strong ability to meet our long-term obligations,” Doeschner said.
The district also avoided a fiscal stress designation from the state comptroller’s office, though officials noted that Glen Cove is five points away from being classified as “susceptible to stress,” largely due to cash timing issues.
For the 2026-27 school year, the district initially projected a $7.57 million budget gap. After applying $2.8 million in reserves, the gap was reduced to $4.77 million. And the first round of reductions, according to Theresa Kahan, the assistant superintendent for business and operations, has lowered the remaining deficit to $3.58 million.
“This gap is real,” Kahan said. “It is structural and it requires a structural change.”
The district, she said, will continue reviewing programs, staffing and reserve use while awaiting final state aid figures in the state budget.
The proposed tax levy for 2026-27 is $81.57 million, a 2.42 percent increase, the maximum allowed under the state tax cap.
District officials plan to present additional updates at a budget work session on Monday, with a complete spending plan proposal expected April 15. The budget vote is scheduled for May 19.
