ISLIP, NY — Islip School District voters rejected the district’s proposed $106,244,004 budget for the 2026-27 school year on Tuesday, voting 639, yes to 859, no, against the spending plan.
The proposal also exceeded the state tax cap and would have required 60 percent voter approval to pass.
The proposed spending plan represented a 3.71 percent increase over the current year’s budget. The proposed tax levy was $70,527,553, a 2.85 percent increase. The district’s allowable tax levy limit was 2.22 percent.
If residents vote down a budget, the school board can present the same, or a revised budget, in a new vote. Or, they can opt to adopt a contingency budget but the tax levy cannot be higher than it was during the past year.
“A failed budget is not simply a number; it is a message,” Islip Superintendent Dr. Dennis O’Hara wrote in a May 20 letter to families. “We take that message seriously, and we are committed to responding to it with the transparency, rigor, and accountability this community has every right to expect.”
The district will hold a public meeting at 4 p.m. Friday, May 29, in the Islip High School auditorium, where a new proposed budget will be presented. A public hearing on the new proposed budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 9.
The second budget vote is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16.
Should voters nix the proposed budget a second time, the adopted budget has to have the same tax levy as the last year.
District officials said the budget would have maintained all current programs and included funding for contractual increases in salaries, benefits, pupil transportation services, insurance and special education support services.
The spending plan also included a $275,000 transfer to capital for replacement of the high school greenhouse.
According to district documents, the proposed levy would have increased taxes by an estimated $262.97 annually, or $21.91 monthly, for an average home with a market value of about $600,000. A tax-cap compliant budget would have increased taxes by an estimated $204.72 annually, or $17.06 monthly.
District officials said the difference above the tax cap amounted to about $60 per year, or about $5 per month, for the average homeowner, and would have allowed the district to preserve programs, opportunities and supports for students.
The budget would have supported current academic and K-12 co-curricular programs, mental health services, literacy and math support, Universal Pre-K for 135 students, STEAM and innovation programs, high school electives leading to real-world certification, Advanced Placement and college course offerings, special education services, arts programs and interscholastic athletics.
District officials said a contingent budget would be lower than the proposed budget and would require removing non-contingent items, including the $275,000 transfer to capital, most equipment purchases and additional reductions of more than $1 million.
Board Of Education Election
Voters also elected two candidates to the Board of Education.
Laura Rogacki was re-elected to her seat with 1,025 votes. There were 36 write-in votes for the seat.
Hilary Crowe Breig was elected to the seat held by Philip Dineen with 938 votes. There were 49 write-in votes for the seat.
Both terms run from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029.
Election results remain unofficial pending certification by the district clerk.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Islip, NY Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.