Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District gets bump in state aid

Posted

The governor’s recently passed 2017-2018 budget includes a healthy increase in state aid for the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District.

The district will receive $26,136,949 this year, an increase of $2,464,546, or 10 percent, over last year. Included in the state aid is $3.1 million for BOCES, $3.3 million for transportation and $3.1 million in building aid.

This will mean that the district has to collect less in taxes this year.

Other local districts however will see decreases in their state aid levels, or modest increases.

North Bellmore is set to receive $14,056,359 — 2.7 percent more than last year. Meanwhile, the Bellmore School District will actually be receiving 2 percent less aid than last year, with $4,909,181.

The Merrick School District will be receiving almost 3 percent less aid than last year, with $6,674,646, while North Merrick will receive $7,187,516, a 5 percent increase over last year.

Before the state aid numbers were available, Central District Superintendent John DeTommaso said that the district’s tax levy was likely to increase by 3.23 percent. De Tommaso and other district officials were unavailable to comment for this story, because of school vacation.

District 8 State Senator John Brooks said this week that he applauded the additional $129 million in state aid this year for Long Island Schools.

“Increased funding for Long Island schools is necessary and critical to the success of out students,” said Brooks, a former school board member. “I am pleased that we secured additional funding for our schools, but the fact remains that Nassau County residents continue to foot the bill of education on Long Island.”

“While this budget takes a step in the right direction, there is still more work to be done to achieve equity in education funding for Long Island,” he added.