Sayville School District adopts $107.7 million budget for May vote

Sayville schools are asking voters to approve a $107.7 million budget that would preserve every current program and staff position while allowing room for expanded offerings in selected areas. The plan is about $2.1 million, or 1.94 percent, higher than the current year and would push the district’s tax levy up 2.79 percent, still below the cap the district can impose on taxpayers.

The Sayville Union Free School District adopted the 2026-27 spending plan after a series of budget presentations that laid out revenue, object category, functional area and three-part component breakdowns for the coming year. District leaders have framed the proposal as a balance between stability and growth: keep the structure of the schools intact, avoid cuts to staffing, and build modestly where the district sees an opening to expand student programs.

For families, the practical question is what that means inside the building. The district says the budget would maintain all programs and positions, which signals no broad reduction in classroom offerings, clubs or support services. The tax levy figure matters just as much for homeowners, because it is the part of the budget most directly tied to local property taxes. A 2.79 percent levy increase is lower than the district’s cap, but it still represents a higher local bill for many households.

Residents still have two public checkpoints before the vote. The Sayville Board of Education will hold a budget hearing and workshop at 7:30 p.m. on May 12, and the annual budget vote and election is set for May 19 at Old Junior High School, 30 Greene Ave., Sayville, NY 11782. Those dates give voters a final chance to compare the district’s promises with the numbers behind them before they cast a ballot.

The 2026-27 proposal also arrives with recent budget battles still fresh in mind. Sayville voters approved the 2025-26 budget of $105.7 million by a vote of 1,895 to 849. That budget was 0.33 percent lower than the prior year and carried a 2.2 percent tax levy increase, still under the district’s 2.32 percent cap.

A year earlier, district officials described a $5.8 million gap in the 2024-25 budget, driven largely by a proposed $3.4 million drop in state foundation aid. The district responded by leaving 19 positions unfilled and increasing some class sizes. Leaders also pointed to a reduced state-aid outlook and a grieved PILOT tied to the Bristal Assisted Living as financial pressure points during the 2025 budget season. That history explains why this year’s pledge to hold staffing steady may carry extra weight with Sayville voters now deciding how much stability they want to pay for.