Saturday, June 14, 2025
Superintendent Jared Bloom presented details of the 2025-26 school year budget for the Franklin Square School District during a Board of Education meeting on April 23. The presentation marked the district’s fourth and final budget workshop. Bloom noted that because the New York State Executive Budget has not been finalized, there is a degree of uncertainty to the exact numbers outlined in the proposal. However, Bloom said the board is not anticipating substantial change from the preliminary numbers released from the state in January.
The Citizen’s Budget Advisory Committee approved the budget and the board unanimously adopted it at the end of the meeting. A public budget hearing will be held on May 6 at Washington Street School before the annual budget vote on May 20. More details about the budget are available on FranklinSquare.K12.NY.us.
1. The tax levy increase will not pierce the cap
The Franklin Square School District proposes a $51.7 million budget for the 2025-26 school year, which requires a 2.79 percent tax levy increase. This increase is within the Nassau County limit, 2.8 percent, meaning only 50 percent of the vote is required to pass the budget. Budget drivers include increased costs in payroll, pensions, health insurance, mandated costs and operational costs. Taxes will contribute $32.5 million toward the district revenue, $2.3 million will come from other income and Payment in Lieu of Taxes programs, and $1.2 million will come from fund reserves. According to the board’s last budget presentation in March, state aid is projected at $15.6 million, which comprises 30 percent of the school’s budget revenue.
2. There will be no reductions in programming
Bloom said the board is not recommending any reductions in programs and remains committed to small class sizes, extracurricular clubs, and the district’s Saturday Enrichment Program. In particular, Bloom said, the district is prioritizing lower class sizes for kindergarten through second grade. Full day pre-K will continue for all students, as well as the district’s performing arts and theatre programs, for which it was awarded a Best Communities for Music Education designation from the National Association of Music Merchants for the 2024-25 school year. Bloom also celebrated the accomplishments of the school’s current budget year, noting that all three elementary schools were named among U.S. News and World Report 2024 Best Elementary Schools.
3. Classrooms, building and capital improvements
The district is proposing to use $1.6 million of funds from its capital reserve, an account proposed and approved by voters during the 2019-20 school budget vote, to reconstruct the Washington Street School parking lot. Bloom noted this is at no cost to taxpayers, and stressed the need for the project due to safety concerns—such as poor lighting—lack of spaces for staff, and hazardous entrances and exits to and from the lot. The district will also be providing all pre-K programming at Polk Street School, which will be opening a new section of the building with classrooms to accommodate the additional children. As a result, Bloom said, the district will be ending their partnership with Our Precious Angels in order to serve all students at its own school buildings.
