Lindenhurst School Budget Preview, Candidates On Ballot For 2026-2027

LINDENHURST, NY — Lindenhurst residents will head to the polls Tuesday, May 19, to vote on the Lindenhurst School District's proposed $201,606,607 budget for the 2026-27 school year, along with a $57.8 million bond referendum for districtwide capital improvements and Board of Education elections.

Voting will take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Albany Avenue Elementary School, Daniel Street Elementary School, Harding Avenue Elementary School, William Rall Elementary School and Lindenhurst Middle School.

District officials said the proposed spending plan maintains all current instructional, extracurricular, fine and performing arts, athletics and Advanced Placement programs while remaining within the state tax cap. The proposed tax levy increase is 1.62 percent, which district officials said is the eighth-lowest in Suffolk County and the 14th-lowest on Long Island.

The district said the budget accounts for rising transportation and health insurance costs while avoiding reductions to programs and services.

Among the additions included in the proposed budget are new instructional resources, marching band and color guard equipment, dance costumes, cameras and a color printer for the Art Department, classroom furniture upgrades, AP resources, new musical instruments and middle school choral risers. The district also plans to expand field trips and enrichment opportunities in music, art and dance.

The proposed budget allocates approximately 74 percent of spending toward program costs, including instruction and student services, while nearly 20 percent would support capital expenses and 6.25 percent would go toward administrative costs.

The district also included a $1.2 million transfer to capital for improvement projects, including parking lot expansion at the Bower building, districtwide library upgrades and bathroom renovations, technology and electrical upgrades at Kellum UPK Center and new security vestibules at several schools.

$57.8M Bond Proposition

In addition to the budget vote, residents will decide on a $57,859,300 bond proposition that would fund districtwide infrastructure, athletic, accessibility and safety upgrades.

District officials said the proposal is the first bond referendum presented to voters in more than eight years.

The proposal includes installation of air conditioning units in classrooms districtwide, roof replacements and repairs, window replacements, upgraded fire alarms and safety systems, electrical upgrades, ADA accessibility improvements, bathroom renovations and parking lot and sidewalk reconstruction projects.

Athletic improvements totaling roughly $4.9 million are also included in the proposal. Planned projects include turf infields for varsity baseball and softball fields, a new multi-use turf field at Daniel Street Elementary School and upgrades to junior varsity softball and baseball facilities.

District officials said the projects are intended to benefit both student-athletes and community organizations that use the facilities outside school hours.

According to the district, the average homeowner would see an estimated one-time increase of approximately $11.03 per month, or $132.34 annually, beginning in the 2028-29 school year if the bond is approved. Officials said no additional net tax increase related to the bond would occur during the remaining 14 years of repayment because retiring debt would offset the new borrowing.

The district also said New York State would reimburse nearly 70 percent of eligible project costs.

Board Of Education Election

Voters will also elect three members to the Board of Education.

Incumbents Josephine Martino, Gabrielle Anzalone and Michael J. DiGiuseppe are running unopposed for re-election.

Voting Information

Residents must be registered voters and have lived within the district for at least 30 days prior to the election to participate in the vote.

Absentee ballot and early voting ballot applications are available through the district clerk’s office. Completed absentee and early voting ballots must be returned by 5 p.m. on May 19 to be counted.