Voters across the North Fork will decide May 19 whether their school districts can hold the line on programs while absorbing another year of rising costs.

Most districts are staying within the state tax cap. Greenport is not, with officials asking residents to approve a nearly 8% tax levy increase tied to deep staffing cuts and a broader effort to stabilize district finances.

Here’s what each district is proposing:

Greenport

Greenport’s proposal is the most controversial of the bunch — and new Superintendent Beth Doyle’s first budget cycle. Officials say the plan is aimed at reducing the district’s reliance on reserve spending.

The $26 million spending plan includes a 7.91% tax levy increase, far above the district’s 3.04% cap. For homeowners, that would mean about $43 more per month. 

The proposal also cuts 21 positions, including one administrative role, 10 instructional positions and 10 non-instructional positions. School officials have emphasized that the budget would maintain small class sizes, transportation, educational offerings, music, athletics and extracurricular activities.

The budget requires approval from at least 60% of voters since the proposed tax levy exceeds the allowable cap.

Should the proposal be rejected, a revote would be held on June 16 and would bring deeper cuts to electives and field trips, while eliminating 28 positions. If voters were to again shoot it down, a contingency plan would carry no levy increase and eliminate 35 positions.

School board incumbent Kirsten Droskoski, a 14-year member, is running for the only open seat.

Ballots can be cast from 2 to 8 p.m. in the school’s new gym.

Mattituck-Cutchogue

The joint district is putting forth a $48.3 million budget, a 3.19% increase that comes with a 2.63% tax levy bump, staying under the cap.

The tax increase would be the district’s lowest in years.

Transportation costs are projected to rise by $67,239, including $46,048 tied to the district’s contract with Sunrise Bus Company. Salaries remain the largest share of the budget at $22.3 million for more than 200 employees, an increase of $743,872.

Health insurance is going up to $9.4 million from $8.8 million, a $615,336 increase.

Facilities spending is projected to decrease by $282,144 following a year of capital improvements that included new air conditioning units, LED lighting and bathroom updates.

The school board will have three open seats on the ballot. Two of the terms are for three years, starting on July 1 through June 30, 2029. The other term — filling a vacancy from Jeffrey Connolly’s resignation in December — runs from May 19 through June 30, 2027.

Incumbents Patricia Arslanian and Lorraine Warren are running again, while Suzanne Martinez is seeking a seat on the board.

Community members can vote from 3 to 9 p.m. in the high school gym.

Southold

Southold is putting out a $36.8 million proposed budget to voters, an increase of just over $1 million from last year, or 3.28%.

The proposed tax levy increase is 2.71%, just under the state cap. The average household increase would be roughly $16 per month, or about $188 annually.

The budget maintains current programs and offerings throughout the district.

Salaries, benefits and transportation costs would all increase, while out-of-district tuition is projected to decrease by 4.21%. The district would also return $1.1 million in reserves and appropriated fund balance.

Three seats are open on the school board. Incumbents Thomas Grattan Jr., Dawn Hagerman and Scott Latham are running again. 

Voters can make their choices from 3 to 9 p.m. in the high school gym.

Oysterponds

The Oysterponds School District in Orient is proposing a $5.98 million budget for 2026-27, a 2.38% increase.

The proposed tax levy increase is at 4.76% — equal to the district’s tax-cap limit.

Voters will also decide on two propositions involving the capital reserve fund.

Proposition 1 would authorize up to $89,000 for technology and educational facility projects. Proposition 2 would allow up to $46,000 for the purchase of a Kubota 4WD utility vehicle with snow removal and salting capabilities, along with related costs.

On the school board, incumbents Janice Caufield and Jeffrey Demarest are running against Nicole Garret and Linda Goldsmith for two open seats. The candidate receiving the third-highest number of votes will fill a two-year term created by Erin Johnson’s resignation last year.

Community members can vote from 2 to 8 p.m. at Oysterponds Elementary School.

Riverhead Town districts are facing many of the same financial pressures, particularly rising special education and staffing costs.

Riverhead 

The proposed 2026-2027 budget for the Riverhead Central School District is $218.9 million — a 3.52% increase that stays within the state tax levy cap.

Much of the increase is tied to special education spending. The district has set aside roughly $40.2 million for programs serving students with disabilities, a roughly $2.7 million increase from the current school year. Special education transportation alone is projected to rise by $1.4 million.

Out of the district’s $7.4 million overall spending increase, nearly $3 million is allocated to instruction, including curriculum development and special education programs.

Three current school board members are seeking reelection: Erica Murphy, Cynthia Redmond and Julio Gonzalez, who stepped in last July after board member Brian Connelly resigned.

Two newcomers — Jasmine Corwin and Natasha Cooks — are also running. Current board member Virginia Healy recently announced she will not seek reelection.

The three candidates who receive the highest number of votes will be elected to serve full terms, starting July 1 and ending June 30, 2029. The candidate with the fourth highest number of votes will serve a partial, one-year term beginning May 19 to June 30, 2027.

Voters can cast their ballots at the Riverhead High School gymnasium any time between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Shoreham-Wading River

The Shoreham-Wading River Central School District has proposed a $90 million budget for the 2026-27 academic year, a 0.8% increase with a tax levy that remains within the allowable cap at 2.84%. The budget maintains all current programs and services.

Following a successful pilot this year, the universal free school meal program would expand to include breakfast.

Pending final approval of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to expand Universal Pre-K funding, the district also plans to develop a lottery-based UPK program funded entirely through a state grant.

District enrollment has declined by 15%, leading to staffing reductions through attrition rather than layoffs. Six teaching positions are being eliminated through retirements, saving the district roughly $1.7 million next year.

The proposed budget also includes funding for the settled teachers’ contract, providing nearly 4.75% raises for most staff members, along with a new AI elective at the high school. Planned facility improvements include parking lot repairs at Miller Avenue School.

There are three spots open on the Board of Education, each carrying three-year terms. Incumbents Katie Anderson and Henry Perez are running against newcomers Daniel McGuire, Erin Saunders-Morano and Jessie Sidewitz. Michael Lewis is not seeking reelection.

Two additional propositions are on the ballot as well.

Proposition No. 2 authorizes the conveyance of a small, unused parcel at 100 Randall Road to Brookhaven Town to complete a road improvement project that will significantly enhance safety at the entrance to Prodell Middle School.

Proposition No. 3, put forward by the Wading River Historical Society, would raise $40,000 through the tax levy process to support museum operations and maintenance. The measure is separate from the school budget — so no funds would be diverted from school programs or student services.

Voters can cast their ballots at the gym any time between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

The post North Fork school budget votes set for May 19; Greenport seeks tax cap override appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

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