Locust Valley Central School District's $100M Budget Fails

LOCUST VALLEY/BAYVILLE, NY — Locust Valley Central School District residents rejected the budget for the 2026-2027 school year.

The budget of $100,251,364 failed by a vote of 850-765. The budget would have included a tax levy increase of 2.1 percent, remaining below the district's allowable tax cap of 2.84 percent.

Proposition 2, Transportation Policy Update, passed by a vote of 981 to 613. This proposition will help provide transportation for all students, no matter their distance from the school building. This will mean reducing the existing half-mile limit for grades 1 through 5 and the one-mile limit for grades 6 through 12, as well as increasing the existing 15-mile maximum limit to an 18-mile maximum limit at no additional cost to the district. This policy update protects existing bus routes for in-district and private school resident families.

Paul Chirichella, who received 1,047 votes; incumbent Holly Esteves, who received 1,060 votes; and Brian Keaveney, who received 1,078, were all elected as Trustees to the Board of Education.

The Board of Education issued a statement on May 20, thanking residents who participated in the budget vote and outlining the next steps:

"Since the budget did not pass, the district will now begin work on a revote scheduled for Tuesday, June 16. We will provide updates regarding this process and the budget in the near future."

When residents reject a budget, the school board can hold a second budget vote or a revised budget in a new vote. They can also opt to adopt a contingency budget with no increase in the tax levy, which may result in spending reductions to athletic teams and clubs to offset rising costs like employee health insurance. If voters reject the proposed budget a second time, the adopted budget has to have the same tax levy as the previous year.

The Board of Education sent a letter on May 18, stating it unanimously approved the proposed 2026-27 school budget, but the majority of voters did not agree. The BOE said the proposed budget reflects "a careful balance between fiscal responsibility and our continued commitment to educational excellence."