The Patchogue-Medford School District is proposing a $241.3 million 2024/25 budget with a 2.67 percent increase of the tax levy. The proposed budget does not pierce the tax cap.

The average tax increase per household assessed at $2,800 is estimated at $232.90 per year, or $19.40 per month.

The Governor’s proposed budget gives an overall state aid increase of $602,304 for the district. The foundation aid included in her proposal for Patchogue-Medford was cut by about $1.4 million.

The proposed state budget also includes $180 million in state funds to subsidize school breakfast and lunch programs through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which allows all students in approved districts to eat for free.

Frank Mazzie, assistant superintendent for business and operations, explained that the school district recently qualified for the CEP prior to the Governor’s plan to make this available for qualifying districts throughout the state. 

“As of Dec. 1, 2023, all students in Patchogue-Medford School District are eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch every single day now that we have been approved for the Community Eligibility Provision,” he said.

The budget was officially adopted by the board of education on March 25 after several presentations.

“We are very proud to claim no cuts to the budget,” said superintendent of schools Dr. Donna Jones, noting the district was prepared for potential federal funding cuts, knowing that previous aid was COVID related. “We knew it would not last forever.”

The budget, she said, is fully staffed with no cuts, but rather six additional full-time teachers, not including the replacement of 15 retiring teachers.

General education additions include elementary teachers to cover a new kindergarten section and two grade 5 classes; middle school staff to support increases in grade 6 classes; and high school staff for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program.

“The CTE program provides tremendous opportunity for our students to explore their interests,” Jones said.

Additionally, the in-house CTE program will be expanding their cosmetology offerings next year to allow for additional students.

Special education additions include three teaching assistants (TAs) and a teacher for the new elementary Academic and Career Explorers (ACES) class; one speech teacher at the high school; one middle school teacher for a new 15:1:1 math class; and one kindergarten teacher for an integrated co-teaching class.

There will also be no cuts to programing, she said, noting the district was able to sustain and grow in the midst of “challenging times.”

“We have a fiscally sound budget with a strong reserves and a game plan to pay off our current debt in the next five to six years,” she said. “This budget was a result of the hard work and dedication of our administrators and teachers.”

Money has also been allocated in the interfund transfer over several years for the expansion project at Bay Elementary School, at no cost to the taxpayer with a total state aid reimbursement at 70 percent.

ABOUT THE BOND

The Patchogue-Medford School District is proposing the purchase of new unit ventilators in classrooms districtwide which will be a vast improvement for air filtration, since they use MERV 13 filters as opposed to the antiquated ones in place now, which only can accept MERV 7 or 8 filters. 

They will also be equipped with heating and cooling capacities. The proposed $85,375,000, bond will be put up during the regular budget vote this May and will include additional enhancements for rooftop units to provide the same upgrades in the school buildings’ gymnasiums and cafeterias.

The bond will also include several additional upgrades including a new multi-purpose turf athletic field, located just west of the existing high school stadium, as well as additional athletic field improvements such as new bleachers, lighting, and digital scoreboards, and a updating the press box, which is currently over 15 years old, to a double-sided version that will overlook both fields.

The proposition will also allow for the purchase of new audio and visual equipment for the music and fine arts department in the middle and high schools.

The air quality portion of the project, she said, is not only in response to the COVID pandemic, but also due to the impact of climate change and the increasing pollutants in the air. 

The project will include individual classroom climate control—both heating and cooling—to improve the learning environment in all classrooms districtwide year round. The project will also improve the quality of the fresh air intake and provide the ability to keep all classroom windows closed at all times for added security.

According to the district, the current systems are at least 60 years old and would require incremental replacements regardless as they are at or are approaching the end of their useful life.

The proposition will be presented to the voters to authorize a $85,375,000 bond referendum to be paid over 15 years with an estimated 4.5 percent interest rate.

The estimated annual impact on the taxpayer in the first year that the new bond payments would overlap with current bond payments would be approximately $75 for the average home assessed at $2,800. State aid is expected to cover 73 percent of the total cost of the bond. 

Additionally, the district’s current debt is expected to fall off by 2028/29, and after this bond overlaps in 2026/27 and 2027/2028 it will essentially cost less to the taxpayers than the existing debt by essentially replacing it.

THE VOTE

The vote for the budget, bond, and BOE candidates will take place on Tuesday, May 21.

A public information meeting will be held on Thursday, May 9 at 7 p.m. in the Saxton Middle School auditorium.

Voters must be 18 years or older, a resident for at least 30 days prior to the vote, a U.S. citizen, and registered with the SC Board of Elections.

Voters must vote in the Polling Place which serves the area in which they reside.

• District 1 – South Ocean Middle School
• District 2 – Medford Elementary School
• District 3 – Saxton Middle School
• District 4 – Tremont Elementary School
• District 5 – Eagle Elementary School

Please contact the district clerk at (631) 687-6370 to determine the appropriate polling place.