Wantagh School District Budget Preview, Candidates On Ballot For 2026-27

WANTAGH, NY — Voters will go to the polls across Nassau County Tuesday to approve or deny school district budgets, pick their board of education candidates and choose whether or not to adopt special ballot propositions; in Wantagh, the case is no different. Below is everything you need to know about the Wantagh school budget vote, board of education candidates and ballot propositions.

The Budget

The school district has proposed a $98,381,547 budget for next school year, a 3.87 percent increase in the budget that the district plans to fund through a $71,388,942 tax levy. That tax levy, the district says, is an increase of 3.48 percent over this year’s budget, falling just below the maximum allowable tax levy of $71,389,062.

The Rest of the Ballot

Also appearing on the ballot will be two propositions.

First among the propositions is Proposition Two, which would allow the district to spend $1.74 million from its capital reserve fund to replace the HVAC unit atop the Wantagh High School auditorium, replace part of the roof at Wantagh High School and purchase and install lighting over the Wantagh High School turf.

The second proposition pertains to the sale of 1865 Beech Street, leased to a daycare provider until the lease expired in 2024. The district says the building doesn’t meet its current or future needs, and would require “significant capital investment,” leading to the proposed sale. If approved, the district says the sale would be to a developer who plans to build a pair of single-family homes on the property.

The property at 1865 Beech Street would fetch a $1.075 million price under the current proposal.

Finally, there is the board election, wherein incumbent Tara Cassidy and newcomer Joseph Dunn run unopposed for a pair of seats on the board of education.