Saturday, October 31, 2026
The 2026-27 school year may have only just begun, but the East Meadow School District is already looking ahead and planning for the future.
The district is on the heels of passing a $71.5 million bond in March, as well as its annual $286.8 million annual spending package in May. While both monetary packages will allow the school to complete capital projects and enhance the education of all students, it’s important for district leadership to start budgeting early for expenses down the road, Superintendent Ken Rosner said at the Oct. 7 Board of Education meeting.
“One of the things that we wanted to do was give you the landscape now, in October, as we start to plan for next year’s budget,” Rosner shared with meeting attendees and board members.
During the meeting, Jennifer Frisenda, the district’s assistant superintendent for business and finance, presented “Beyond the Budget: Planning for Long Term Fiscal Stability,” which detailed East Meadow’s five-year financial forecast, as well as expected challenges, opportunities and solutions.
Among the district's mounting costs, technology improvements are becoming increasingly expensive, Frisenda shared. During the 2023-24 school year, the district budgeted just over $4 million for technology. For 2026-27, that number has skyrocketed by more than $2 million.
“There have been very significant fluctuations in device pricing,” Frisenda said. “That’s based upon the reduction in the supply chain.”
Frisenda said Chris McLeod, the district’s director of technology, has developed a district-wide refresh plan, which includes standardizing hardware and software purchasing. The district, she added, is looking at the market closely and maximizing any type of aid that may be available to assist with costs.
Costs that exist outside district control include insurance — which is anticipated to rise 56 percent between the 2025-26 school year and the current fiscal year, totaling $1.8 million to cover liability, fire, flood, cyber, auto, crime, travel and accidents involving students.
The district also must budget for facility operating costs, including building and infrastructure upgrades, heating fuel and other utilities.
“Last winter, we had a very cold winter,” Frisenda explained. "The district operates on dual fuel, which means gas and oil. We get very favorable rates for gas, because when the temperature drops to a certain degree, we are forced to switch to oil. There was about at $50,000 increase in oil for last winter because it was so cold.”
The $71.5 million bond, which was passed by a vote of 1,132 to 462 on March 5, will offset some of these costs by funding capital improvement projects in district buildings, including boilers.
Voters also approved the 2026-27 $286.8 million school budget by a vote of 1,279 to 436 on May 19, covering the rising costs of special education and transportation, among other expenditures.
Special education services also are becoming increasingly costly, Frisenda said. About 16 percent of district students have individualized education plans, a legal document that outlines special educations services, goals and supports for public-school students. Administrators said 6 percent of district students have a 504 plan, a formal blueprint that outlines accommodations and services students with a disability need to access their education curriculum.
The district has students with significant needs, out-of-district placements and agency providers that work with students, Frisenda said.
To manage special education costs, services are audited by a Committee on Special Education.
“The CSE committees, they meet, they make sure that the services are appropriate,” Frisenda said.
Transportation costs remain high as well, Frisenda said, although the district frequently reviews routes, audits contracts and monitors fuel prices.
“Something that we are thinking of taking a look at is field trip procedures, and that we verify the invoices that we receive are actually for the services that we get,” she added.
The district's transportation department has a strict policy about when a trip is canceled. The school that is taking the trip must alert the department at least a day in advance, because if a bus arrives, the district has to pay for it no matter if it is used or not.
Following the presentation, board members asked a few questions, which included how the district plans for retirements, and if there could be any positive impact on costs.
Anthony Russo, assistant superintendent for personnel and administration, said the district typically has between 25 and 30 retirements per year.
“We do anticipate that this year, we could potentially have more,” he said.
David Spinnato, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, has indicated that the district is looking at what can be done, including the possibility of absorbing positions through attrition, Russo added.
“It’s definitely something we take into consideration,” he said.
Overall, the district manages its finances regularly by looking at enrollment and trends, as well as budgeting monthly, and making sure there are appropriate fund balances in reserves.
Rosner asked Frisenda what the board should think about and be concerned with most heading into the next fiscal year, to which Frisenda replied, “Significant increases in expenditures and a lower revenue.”
“When revenue starts to get low, that’s when you have to use your reserves to balance your budget,” she said, “and that’s when there’s a problem.”
The district monitors this regularly to ensure everything is funded correctly, she added.
The East Meadow school board will host its next meeting on Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Salisbury School, at 718 The Plain Road in Westbury. A recording of the Oct. 7 meeting is available on the district’s YouTube page.
