The Uniondale Board of Education held its second budget development workshop, outlining a proposed 2026-27 spending plan that includes a 2.8 percent increase, in administrative costs and a 3.4 percent increase in programing as the district works toward managing rising costs.
The presentation, held on March 22 at Grand Avenue Elementary School in Baldwin, is one out of a three-part budget, which also includes the capital component that was reviewed on March 10.
The instructional, or program, portion — the largest share of the budget — is driving most of the increase, covering the salaries of teachers and classroom support staff, as well as expenses for supplies and student services across the district. The district employs nearly 500 teachers, along with dozens of teaching assistants and aides.
“We have worked very hard to make sure that we have a fiscally responsible budget in this area,” Bernadette Lignato, Uniondale School District’s assistant superintendent for business, said.
The proposed budget represents a 3.76 percent increase over this year’s budget. The administrative portion would rise to $23.1 million, up 2.88 percent, from this years $22.5 million while the instructional portion — about 82 percent of the total budget — would increase by roughly $8.2 million. Overall, the district is proposing more than $245 million in spending for programing compared to this years $236 million.
Lignato said the district might see some savings from adjustments to co-curricular activities, with the number of clubs and programs potentially changing based on student enrollment and interest. No specific clubs were identified for reduction.
“We have been able to maintain this through careful planning and reduction in a lot of these areas for next year,” Lignato said.
Among its expenses, the Uniondale district assigns its nurses full-time to Kellenberg Memorial High School, Hebrew Academy of Nassau County, St. Martin de Porres and Academy Charter School.
“Our obligation is that any private or parochial schools within our district, including charters, must get the same health services,” Lignato said.
“We have social workers as well assigned there,” she added. “We give them psychological services to all the students, whether they’re our children or not.”
However, the district is reimbursed by other school districts if it provides services to non-Uniondale residents.
Transportation is another significant expense within the program budget. Starting at $18 million. The district provides busing for more than 7,000 students, including those attending private, parochial and charter schools.
Lignato noted that while transportation costs are high, approximately $18.6 million compared to this year $17.8 million the district receives state aid that offsets a large portion of those expenses.
In addition, Monique Darrisaw-Akil, Uniondale’s superintendent, announced that the district will introduce a new elementary school ELA curriculum, which she described as a significant addition to the instructional budget, costing $312,000 each year for five years.
Professional development costs will add another $107,000 for the first year, district officials said.
“We don’t want to wait until these beautiful young people who are in high school to introduce that to them,” Rhonda Taylor, the district’s assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, said. “We are beginning in our elementary schools.”
The district has selected HMH Into Reading, an elementary literacy curriculum developed by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
“This is a culmination of a year’s worth of research, shared decision-making among our scholars, teachers, school administrators and, of course, our central level leaders,” Taylor said.
Special education expenditures also have helped drive up the budget, administrators said. The district serves 952 students with disabilities, including more than 130 who attend programs outside the district, which adds to the costs. The district provides these students with services through special education teachers, speech and language providers and other support staff.
The budget proposes $38.7 million in programing for students classified under the Disabilities Education Act. An 8.1 increase from this year at $38.7 million, most of funds are used as tuition for Uniondale residents, whether they are in a school in or out of the district. Included with this portion is compensation for teachers in special education, speech, language, teacher aides and assistant who work in the class.
Also, it covers expenses for BOCES tuition equipment and supplies.
Some schools in the district are assigned more special education staff than others. Northern Parkway Elementary School has 23 special education teacher assistants, including aides, while Walnut Street and Grand Avenue elementary schools each have five.
“We do get state aid based on our expenditures, and this state aid is almost 65 percent to 70 percent aidable,” Lignato said.
To help offset rising costs, the district targeted certain areas for reduction, primarily by not filling vacant positions. In the health services budget, for example, two nursing positions will not be filled next year, contributing to a decrease in that area.
The district also provides health and support services to students attending private, parochial and charter schools within Uniondale. When those students live outside the district, these students’ home districts reimburse Uniondale for those services.
Officials said the proposed budget reflects an effort to maintain programs while managing financial pressures, including declining enrollment and rising mandated expenses.
The school board is expected to continue budget discussions at its next adoption meeting on April 14.
