The North Shore School District is cutting a number of jobs to save $2.7 million in face of budget challenges due to revenue losses from the closure of the LIPA power plant and inflationary costs.

Positions that will be cut in the 2023-2024 come from throughout the district, including teachers, teacher’s aids, clerical positions and contingency jobs.

Superintendent Christopher Zublionis told Blank Slate that he is unable to provide the exact number of employees who will be terminated or the positions cut as the numbers may change over time depending on circumstances.

Zublionis gave the example that if a social studies teacher is laid off due to the budget cuts but then a social studies teacher retires, the terminated teacher can be offered a position again. Because of possible scenarios like this, Zublionis said he is unable to provide exact information yet.

He said that some of the positions planned to be cut are not filled currently, but others are and will require the person’s employment to be terminated.

“I do want to ensure our community that while we are making tough decisions, we do feel that all major programs are preserved while we’ve found these efficiencies,” Zublionis said. “Once the budget is adopted, we’ll be communicating more about the impact, which I think is important, and we are working with the individuals who are impacted employees.”

Zublionis said he is still in the midst of having discussions about these cuts and communicating with the individuals affected.

Board President Dave Ludmar said the decision on job cuts was made with sensitivity, which he appreciated.

The board refrained from stating exactly which positions are being terminated in the proposed budget for the sake of the individuals involved.

Ludmar said that this “does not impact student experience directly.”

The district is proposing a $120 million budget and a tax levy of $89 million for the 2023-24 school year

The budget is increasing by about 3.8%, compared to the current academic year’s budget of nearly $116 million. Zublionis said this is mostly attributed to increases in health insurance, retirement and debt service costs

When the cost increases and revenue losses are added together, Zublionis said it amounts to $10.6 million the district has to make up for.

Overall, the district is trimming its budget in three areas: central administration by 2.77%, plant maintenance by 1.62% and supervision instruction by 7.45%.

The biggest loss for the district, according to Zublionis, is the loss of revenue from the Long Island Power Authority power plant.

“For generations, a big portion of the [tax class] was paid by the power plant,” Zublionis said previously. “That worked as long as it was generating power.”

In Nassau county, the tax base is built around four classes: businesses, utilities, condos and homes. In areas with high business and retail revenue, those businesses pay taxes that reduce the taxes paid by homeowners.

In 2010, the plant was decommissioned. In the wake of the decommissioning, Zublionis said that LIPA was grieving its taxes, which were finally settled in June.

That means, according to Zublionis, millions of dollars have been slashed from the tax roll and taxes have shifted to the residents.

In 2001, homeowners paid about 54.5% of the tax class share. In 2023, they now pay about 83.4%.

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. The district has been applying for more grants but has not received any additional money, Zublionis said during the meeting.

The board also presented a plan to pull $350,000 from their 2016 capital reserves to fund two projects: replacing the high school’s turf and renovating the dance studio. These are funds that the school already has in its accounts.

The capital reserve identifies projects where the money is to be spent, which is approved by residents in a vote. The field’s turf replacement was not identified as a project, therefore residents will vote on whether to allow the reserve funds to go toward that project when they vote on the budget as well.

The board spoke about the projects’ importance due to the benefits provided for students and their future. Athletics and fine and performing arts were described as “imperative” to a student’s success, and the board said these projects directly affect those areas.

During the May 16 election, residents will vote on three propositions: whether or not to adopt the district’s proposed budget, the partial renovation of the turf field as an identified project for the 2016 capital reserves and the expenditure of funds from the capital reserve for the dance studio and field renovations.

The board will convene again March 23 when it will adopt the district’s 2023-24 budget. The meeting will be held at 7:45 p.m. in the Glenwood Landing Auditorium. It will be live-streamed on the district’s website.