Voters in the South Country School District will decide on May 21 whether to approve a budget of just over $143 million for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, an increase of 1.54 percent from the current $140.8 million budget.

The proposed budget maintains existing class sizes and academic and extracurricular programs, including music and art and more than 60 interscholastic sports teams.

“South Country worked diligently in developing a budget that not only mitigates the proposed decrease in foundation aid, but maintains our educational programs and class sizes, all while making enhancements to our instructional programs and engaging in capital improvement projects,” superintendent Antonio Santana said in a statement.

The proposed tax levy increase, which was approved by the board of education on April 17, would be 2.7 percent. It is within the district’s state cap.

The district has experienced higher costs for personnel and fuel and an anticipated $1.3 million drop in state aid, according to a presentation Santana gave to the board at its meeting on April 17. In past years, the district had seen annual state aid increases of about 3 percent a year, Santana said. South Country has about 4,000 students.

Unlike some districts, such as Amityville and Riverhead, which have proposed cutting teachers, South Country’s proposed spending plan adds some positions, including a total of about three reading and math support specialists and special education teachers. South Country would also purchase new Chromebooks for students in grades 3, 6 and 9 and replace outmoded technology.

The proposed operating budget would transfer $1 million to the capital budget to be used for, among other things, replacing elementary school playground equipment, renovating the fitness centers at the high school and middle school, and replacing the fuel tanks at Brookhaven Elementary School and South Haven Pre-K center.

In addition to voting on the budget, South Country district voters will also vote on the following:

Electing two members to the school board

Spending no more than $937,000 from district reserves to renovate the high school auditorium, including replacing the seating, flooring, and carpets and upgrading the sound and lighting system.

Changing high school bus routes to expand service to students living more than 1 mile from the school, which would make it available to more than 80 additional students. Currently, students need to live at least 1.5 miles from the high school to receive bus service. The expansion won’t result in any additional cost, Santana said.

The budget vote is May 21 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bellport Middle School. A public hearing on the budget will be held on May 8 at 6:15 p.m. at the District Administration Building, 189 N. Dunton Avenue.

Absentee ballots are available at the district clerk’s office and on the district website. They must be received in the district clerk’s office by 5 p.m. on May 21.