Thursday, October 1, 2026
Each year, school districts find themselves navigating a unique balancing act. We live in multiple timelines simultaneously — reflecting on past performance, addressing present needs, and planning for future success. In Franklin Square, we’re in the midst of finalizing our proposed 2025-26 budget, a process that underscores our commitment to transparency, inclusivity and fiscal responsibility.
Our budgeting process begins from scratch each year in a zero-based approach, meaning we carefully build our spending plan line by line based on actual needs and community input rather than simply adjusting past budgets. To ensure broad participation, we leverage multiple tools, such as ThoughtExchange, which gathers and rates valuable insights from parents, staff and community members on their priorities and concerns.
In addition to ThoughtExchange, our Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council — composed of students from fourth to sixth grade — offers direct student perspectives, ensuring that we consider the needs and aspirations of our learners. Complementing this, our Citizens Budget Advisory Committee, guided by a clear directive from the Board of Education, examines discretionary spending and aligns community priorities with strategic district goals.
So far this year, we’ve held multiple budget work sessions to ensure transparency and foster dialogue. At our initial session, in January, we outlined our budget timeline and key financial drivers, emphasizing potential impacts such as state aid fluctuations. Unfortunately, we have faced challenges this year, notably influenced by an 18 percent rise in housing prices in Franklin Square, which adversely affected our state aid allocation. Despite these constraints, we remain committed to crafting a responsible budget that shows respect for our community members’ financial pressures, particularly the high cost of living on Long Island.
In February’s session, we delved more deeply into the specifics of our budget, examining staffing needs, instructional materials and facility improvements. We discussed key educational programs, from special education supports and instructional technology investments to curriculum enhancements aimed at maintaining excellence. We have prioritized comfortable learning environments, ensuring that by September, all classrooms and large instructional spaces will be air-conditioned, a proactive step ahead of new state regulations.
Moreover, through our energy performance contract, we secured substantial infrastructure upgrades — including new lighting, boilers and energy-control systems — at no additional cost to taxpayers. This initiative exemplifies our dedication to responsible stewardship of district resources.
Safety and infrastructure improvements also remain priorities. We’re proposing essential enhancements to the parking lot at Washington Street School this summer to address significant pedestrian safety issues and improve utility for staff and families alike.
Beyond our budget, Franklin Square proudly celebrates remarkable achievements. We’re honored to receive the Silver Magna Award at the National School Boards Association’s annual conference, which recognizes innovation in education nationally. Additionally, all three Franklin Square schools earned distinction as Best Elementary Schools in New York state from U.S. News & World Report, alongside recognition from the NAMM Foundation as a Best Community for Music Education.
Remarkably, Franklin Square maintains one of Nassau County’s lowest per-pupil expenditures, while dedicating the highest proportion of our resources to curriculum, instruction and student support — demonstrating our unwavering commitment to educational excellence.
Community collaboration is essential. We actively encourage community members to engage in our budget discussions, as your insights directly shape our priorities and strategies. Your involvement ensures that our spending plan truly reflects the values and goals of Franklin Square families.
As we finalize next year’s proposed budget, our commitment remains clear: to deliver outstanding education, maintain financial responsibility and sustain the community’s trust. Together, with your continued support and partnership, Franklin Square will continue providing exceptional learning experiences, unleashing potential for students who leave our district prepared for extraordinary success.
Dr. Jared T. Bloom is superintendent of the Franklin Square Union Free School District.
