The North Shore School District’s budget narrowly passed in Tuesday’s election, with a difference of 134 votes deciding the election, according to the school district.
Voting occurred on Tuesday from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. in the North Shore High School gym.
The school district’s $120 million budget with a tax levy of $89 million received 1,689 affirmative votes and 1,555 negative votes.
The budget is increasing by about 3.78%, compared to the current academic year’s budget of nearly $116 million. The budget also includes an estimated 3.7% tax levy increase.
Superintendent Christopher Zublionis said the budget increase is mostly attributed to increases in health insurance, retirement and debt service costs.
On top of inflationary costs, the school district presented its budget amid financial challenges of revenue losses from the decommissioned Long Island Power Authority power plant.
In total, the district has lost $2.35 million from LIPA revenue. LIPA is currently paying a direct assessment, which is gradually decreasing by millions of dollars a year.
Zublionis said that over the next five years, the district projects it will lose more than $38 million in total revenues from LIPA.
The district received about $2.1 million more in state aid, but Zublionis said it was not enough for their needs.
When the cost increases and revenue losses are added together, Zublionis said it amounts to $10.6 million for the district to make up
The board made a tough decision to mitigate the gap by cutting a number of jobs to save $2.7 million.
Positions that will be cut in 2023-2024 come from throughout the district, including teachers, teacher’s aids, clerical positions and contingency jobs.
Zublionis previously told Blank Slate that he was unable to provide the exact number of employees who would be terminated or the positions cut as the numbers might change over time depending on circumstances.
North Shore School District Board of Education Vice President Andrea Macari and Trustee Rich Galati were also re-elected in Tuesday’s election. Both were unopposed.
Macari, a clinical psychologist certified in behavioral and cognitive psychology, received 1,911 votes.
Galati, a retired North Shore High School science teacher, received 2,078 votes.
North Shore residents also voted on two propositions, both passing: amending the scope of projects funded by the 2016 capital reserve fund to include removing and replacing the high school turf field, and, in the event the former proposition is passed, to expend a maximum amount of $1.3 million from the 2016 capital reserve fund for the turf field and high school dance classroom renovations.
The proposition to amend the scope of projects in the capital reserve, or Proposition 2, garnered 1,694 affirmative votes and 1,511 negative votes.
Proposition 3, which determined the maximum amount to be spent on the projects, garnered 1,669 affirmative votes and 1,514 negative votes.
