Voters Give Green Light To William Floyd School Budget

SHIRLEY, NY — Voters gave the green light to the William Floyd School District's 2020 to 2021 budget.

After all the absentee votes were counted, the budget passed by a margin of 3,097 to 2,252.

In the race for two open Board of Education seats, Robert Taiani, who ran unopposed, received 3,681 votes. Two candidates were vying for a seat left vacant after longtime BOE vice president and member Jeananne Dawson passed away: Angelo Cassarino emerged the winner with 2,985 votes; Andrew Schildkraut received 1,574.

According to the district, the proposed $245,606,611 budget reflects a budget-to-budget decrease of 0.30 percent and an estimated tax rate increase of 1.50 percent, "which is well below the allowable maximum tax cap levy of 3.49 percent for William Floyd," the district said.

"This budget cycle has been rife with challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic which has impacted the state budget, and, as a result, aid that school districts will receive," district officials have said.

"Governor Cuomo has already reduced the amount of state aid promised to the William Floyd School District from his original proposal by $5 million, which is devastating to our district. William Floyd has little commercial wealth (businesses to help offset taxes) and is a district that relies heavily on state aid (approximately 50 percent state aid/approximately 50 percent tax levy).
This year’s budget cycle has additional uncertainty as the governor now has the authority to make rolling reductions throughout the school year based on state revenue. To deal with these devastating reductions, the district will use a mix of reserves and a well-below-the-maximum allowable tax levy; the district will also use savings through attrition (retirements, resignations, etc.) and many smaller reductions across the district, to save programs and jobs while being sensitive to residents and not decimating the programming opportunities for students," the district said.