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Partly Cloudy Rockville Centre voters pass school, library budgets
Barry, Messier re-elected to school board, Sorvillo, Kelly re-elected to library board in uncontested races
Voters in the Rockville Centre school district approved a $137.6 million budget for the 2024-2025 academic year with just over 73 percent of the vote.
The upcoming spending plan will increase school taxes by an estimated $344 per homeowner, based on information provided by the Nassau County assessor’s office. The tax levy increases by 2.49 percent — or $106.4 million — just below the district’s state-mandated cap of 2.64 percent.
The budget increases overall spending by .87 percent, just shy of $1.2 million. Capital projects including, repairs to the Hewitt Elementary School parking lot, roof repairs at South Side Middle School, extending the existing fencing around the Middle School track from the softball field to the tennis courts, ceiling and light replacements at the elementary schools, and renovations to the South Side High School guidance area, will be covered by $1.8 million of its fund balance, reducing the impact on taxpayers.
The adopted plan comes with no layoffs or reduction of service for existing programs. The district will instead be expanding its curriculum to provide new opportunities for students to learn about artificial intelligence, finance, coding and new electives in the arts. It will also provide additional funding to enhance building security systems across the district.
Of the $137.6 million expense plan, $80.5 million will go towards instruction, $32.7 million will go towards teacher and employee benefits, $13.3 million will go towards administrative costs, $5.5 million will go towards transportation, and $5.4 million will go towards debt services, with just under $191,000 to community services.
Incumbent school board President Kelly Barry and Trustee Erica Messier won re-election in uncontested races. Both will serve a three-year term.
“I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve,” Barry said.
Voters also approved a nearly $4.1 million spending plan for the Rockville Centre Public Library with nearly 78 percent of the vote. The adopted budget will raise taxes by $13 a year for the average homeowner.
Incumbent library board President Melissa Sorvillo and Vice President Nadine Kelly also won re-election in uncontested races. Both will serve a three-year term.
