Wainscott School District Faces Massive Budget Hike

The Wainscott School District finds itself in an unenviable position this year as it asks voters to approve both a soaring $6.16 million budget that pierces the state-mandated tax levy increase cap, and a $1 million shortfall from the current budget year when they come to the polls on May 16 for the annual School Board and budget vote.

A hearing on the budget will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 8, at the school.

The $6.16 million budget is nearly a 50-percent increase over the $4.13 million spending plan voters approved in 2022, and it turns out that the 2022 budget was underfunded by the tune of $1 million. Because it pierces the tax cap, the budget will require the support of 60 percent of voters to pass.

The shortfall was caused when an unforeseen influx of 18 new students moved into the district this year. Because the school only provides classes for students in kindergarten through third grade, the district faced sharply higher tuition fees to send its remaining students to its partner districts, East Hampton, Sag Harbor or Bridgehampton. Unanticipated special education costs also contributed to the shortfall.

To remedy the problem, the district is asking voters to approve a budget for the 2023-24 school year that factors in a continuation of those increased tuition and special education costs for the coming year, while adding additional funds to cushion the blow should another surprise influx occur.

To cover the current year’s shortfall, voters will be asked to approve a special $1 million proposition.

Major increases in the budget include an $856,655 projected increase for special education costs, from the $1.08 million budgeted for this year, and a $435,071 increase for tuition costs, from the $2.11 million in the current budget.

The district will also set aside an additional $70,000 for tuition to cover two more students above the $105,000 that was in the current budget. The budget includes an additional $120,000 from the $200,000 that was previously budgeted for tax anticipation notes, which is short-term borrowing between the time the budget is adopted and tax revenue is distributed by the towns.

Based on current assessed values for the East Hampton Town side of the district, if the budget is approved, residents can expect to see their taxes rise from $202.66 to $396.20 per $1,000 of assessed value. A sliver of the district also lies in Southampton Town, and for residents there, the increase would be from $11.56 to $22.59 per $1,000 of assessed value. The discrepancy in tax rates is due to the fact that Southampton bases its assessments on 100 percent of a property’s value, while East Hampton bases assessments on a fraction of a property’s total value.

When voters go to the polls on May 16, they will also be asked to vote for one of two candidates for School Board. President David Eagan is being challenged by Melanie Hayward for a three-term on the board. Voting will take place at the schoolhouse from 1:30 to 7:30 p.m.