Riverhead, Shoreham-Wading River budgets stay within tax cap before vote

Special-education bills, transportation costs and staffing pressures are shaping what Riverhead and Shoreham-Wading River voters will decide May 19, even as both districts kept their proposed budgets within the state tax cap. The ballot questions are less about whether schools will spend more than taxpayers can bear and more about what services can be preserved without breaking the cap.

In Riverhead, the proposed 2026-27 budget is $218.88 million, up about $7.45 million, or 3.52%. The district said the tax levy increase stays within its calculated cap of 2.91%, up from 2.16% last year, with about $89 million in state aid under the governor’s proposed budget and a tentative additional $1 million tied largely to special-education costs. Riverhead projected $105.6 million in total revenues and about $113.3 million to be raised by the tax levy.

District officials said special education is the biggest pressure point, as more students arrive in kindergarten with established needs and individualized education programs. Transportation for special-education students alone is projected to rise by $1.4 million. Riverhead Charter School tuition is projected at $17.5 million, and property insurance is expected to climb by $254,539. That mix leaves the district trying to hold the line on taxes while protecting classroom support, transportation and services for students with the greatest needs.

Shoreham-Wading River adopted a $90,034,735 budget for the May 19 vote, reflecting a 0.8% increase in expenditures and a 2.84% tax levy increase. District officials said the plan includes $1.7 million in strategic position reductions, largely through attrition and retirement, and cuts reliance on fund balance by 22%. Enrollment has declined by 15%, yet officials said current programs will remain intact. The board also approved special-education contracts for the 2026-27 school year and a proposition authorizing a land conveyance to the Town of Brookhaven for safety improvements near the middle school, including a dedicated turning lane and a traffic light on Randall Road, with the town paying the full cost.

Last year’s vote totals show both districts can still win support when taxpayers see a clear tradeoff. Riverhead approved a $211.4 million budget by 1,004 to 793, and Shoreham-Wading River approved an $89.3 million budget by 513 to 145. This year, the central question is whether staying under the cap is enough to protect services without pushing the strain into classrooms, buses and special education.