Friday, July 11, 2025
Superintendent Marlon Small, of the Elmont Union Free School District, presented the district’s proposed budget for the 2025-26 school year during their second budget workshop at the Board of Education meeting at Stewart Manor School on April 8. Another budget hearing will be held during the next Board of Education meeting at Clara H. Carlson School on May 13. The annual budget vote will be held at the school district office on Elmont Road on May 20. For more information about the school budget, and for the full budget presentation, visit ElmontSchools.org, or call the school district office at (516) 326-5500.
Here are a few numbers to keep in mind from the presentation:
1. Total Budget: $115.2 million
The Elmont Union Free School District is proposing a $115.2 million budget for the 2025-26 school year, which is an increase of $5.6 million from the current school year’s budget, $109.5 million. This is a 5.1 percent increase. Mandated expenses account for 4.1 percent of the overall budget increase, which Small says are a result of Committee on Special Education recommendations, rising costs in health insurance and pensions, and an increased number of students who live in the district who opt-in to attend charter schools. All other budget allocations will account for 1 percent of the budget increase, which include student learning initiatives and upgrades to operations and school buildings across the district.
2. Tax leavy increase: 2.5 percent
The tax levy will be increasing by 2.5 percent, which is below the allowable increase in Nassau County, 2.8 percent. Small said this below average increase in the tax levy is an effort by the district to be financially responsible. This will result in an increase of revenue from around $58 million for the current year to $59.4 million in the upcoming year. Property tax contributes 57 percent of the district’s revenue. Historically, Small said, the school district’s tax levy is below average compared to other Nassau County districts. Other local revenues that are not connected to the tax levy, such as interest, will account for $3.4 million in revenues for the district. This is a $668,000 decrease from last year’s local revenue of $4.1 million.
3. State aid: 40 percent of revenue
State aid to the district would increase to $42 million for the upcoming school year, which is an increase of $4 million from the current school year’s budget of $38 million. This is a 10.6 percent increase. State aid accounts for 40 percent of the Elmont school district’s overall budget. Because this is such a high percentage, Small noted, the district will be more subject to the federal budget, and, subsequently, the budget passed for the state. The New York State budget for 2026 has not been passed yet, and negotiations are ongoing. According to Small, he and other superintendents will be working with Representative Laura Gillen, who represents Elmont in the U.S. House of Representatives, to discuss the school district’s federal funding needs.
