$59.5 Million 2022-23 Budget Proposed In Hampton Bays

Hampton Bays Superintendent Lars Clemensen unwrapped a proposed $59,565,029 budget for the 2022-23 school year for district residents at a hearing Tuesday night. The total is a 3.9 percent increase, or $2,246,842, from the current school year.

Despite the increase, there is no proposed tax levy increase, and taxpayers should see a slight decrease in the school tax rate, the superintendent said May 3.

The flat levy is due to foundation aid increases at an unprecedented level, up 26.3 percent, from $8,558,668 this school year to $10,805,510. The state had made a commitment two years ago to fully fund foundation aid over a three-year period. Last year, schools that had not received appropriate support went from 44 percent to 60 percent fully funded, and from 60 to 80 percent this year.

Districts that are considered fully funded and that have been fully funded for a number of years received a 3 percent increase in aid next school year, so Hampton Bays has received a boost that’s not going to happen every year.

“We’ve been doing this a long time — we don’t take anything for granted — so this budget was built with a conservative approach in mind that, at this point, we need to make sure that those funding commitments at those big levels maintain themselves,” Clemensen said. “We take it, we enjoy it while we have it right now and use it to make sure we can sustain programs and staff and take care of some one-time expenses.”

General support services are increasing 9.76 percent, due to more money needed in central registration, for school safety, personnel management and facilities management. A large chunk of that increase is for maintenance and replacement of computerized building management systems and increased energy costs.

Instruction is increasing 3.84 percent to pay for additional staffing hours in multiple departments and programmatic initiatives — like reading and dyslexia professional development and support, a phonics program and the expansion of the computer programming stream Python. Transportation, capital debt, benefits and capital projects costs are projected to rise 2.33 percent, due largely to a $1.33 million one-time capital expenditure to cover repairs of the track and softball and baseball fields.

All revenues remain the same excepting state aid and prekindergarten funding. The district’s universal prekindergarten grant increased from $89,100 to $418,500 to allow the district to expand services and ensure that all 36 students have a spot. The lottery for a.m. and p.m. sessions was conducted Tuesday night.

The estimated school tax rate will shift from $12.27 to $12.19. For a home assessed at $500,000, that will mean a decrease of $37.42 in taxes next year.

A second proposition on the ballot will be to authorize the use of up to $300,000 of the undesignated, unreserved fund balance from this school year’s budget for repairs, renovations or upgrades to facilities and grounds.

Residents will also be asked to vote for members to fill two board of education seats. President Kevin Springer and Vice President Richard Joslin are being challenged by recently retired Hampton Bays science teacher Richard Iannelli, who also ran for a trustee seat last year.

Voting will take place Tuesday, May 17, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Hampton Bays Middle School gymnasium. Absentee ballot applications can be found on the district website athbschools.us/community/voter_information. COVID-19 concerns are still a valid reason to request an absentee ballot.