Riverhead School District Proposes $218.9 Million Budget for 2026-27

Special education costs are pushing more than half of the spending increase in Riverhead Central School District's proposed $218.88 million budget for 2026-27, Interim Assistant Superintendent for Business Marianne Cartisano told the school board at its March 17 meeting.

The district has set aside approximately $40.2 million for programs serving students with disabilities, a roughly $2.7 million increase from the current school year. Special education transportation alone accounts for $1.4 million of that rise, with BOCES transportation costs for special education students projected to reach $2.6 million next year.

Employee benefits represent another significant pressure point. The district projects a $2,160,460 increase in benefits costs, driven by a $795,597 rise in Employees' Retirement System contributions and a $1,501,878 jump in health and dental insurance. The Employees' Retirement System rate climbed from 16.5% to 17.6%, generating roughly $800,000 in added costs. Cartisano was direct about the cause. "We do have increases with our CSEA staff, that's not causing this," she said. "What's causing this increase is the rate the state charges us on their salaries, that's $800,000 — we haven't seen an $800,000 increase to this degree [since] pre-COVID." On the teachers' side, the Teachers' Retirement System rate is expected to decrease by nearly 7%, largely because retirement incentives have allowed the district to fill veteran positions with lower-salaried employees.

Charter school tuition added $918,013 to the spending plan. Cartisano said the projected tuition cost for the Riverhead Charter School alone would hit $17.5 million for the year. She made no effort to conceal her frustration with the structure of charter funding: "I understand the charter school concept, I just don't like the funding formula."

Property insurance costs are projected to increase by $254,539, a figure Cartisano tied to the district's roughly 80-square-mile geographic footprint.

On the capital side, Cartisano floated using $1 million from the district's repair reserve fund for building repairs in the coming year. Because ceilings and walls will already be opened as part of ongoing energy performance contract work, the district can address additional facility needs at the same time without adding to the tax levy.

The revenue picture includes nearly $90 million in projected state aid, more than $5 million in PILOT payments, roughly $2.3 million from foster and health services tuition, interest income, services provided to other districts, equipment sales, and draws on workers' compensation, unemployment, and pension reserves, along with application of the fund balance.

Residents can weigh in at the public budget hearing scheduled for May 6 at 7 p.m. at Riverhead Middle School. The annual budget vote and board election is set for May 19 at Riverhead High School, though the district's own newsletter listed May 20 as the vote date; residents should confirm the official date at riverhead.net before heading to the polls. The full budget document is also available at each district school and at public libraries.