School budgets pass by wide margins

Connetquot, Sayville, and Bayport-Blue Point School District’s voters passed budgets and elected returning and new school board members Tuesday

Connetquot School District

In an election for the Connetquot Board of Education, former board president Sara Parisi received 1,525 votes, defeating incumbent trustee Jaclyn Napolitano-Furno, who received 1,056 votes.

A lifelong Connetquot resident, former trustee, and Board of Education president, Parisi said her top priorities in returning to the board are “fiscal responsibility, academic excellence and respectful, effective governance.”

Voters in the Connetquot School District also approved a $229 million budget for the 2025-2026 school year, with 1,898 votes in favor and 725 against. The approved budget is around $6.5 million, or 2.91 percent higher than the 2024-2025 budget. The budget also increases the tax levy by 1.34 percent, at the district’s limit.

The budget for the upcoming year maintains all academic, athletic and extracurricular programs, and the district said it will “sustain lower class sizes and create additional pathways for enrichment through the expansion of the district’s Universal Pre-K program by two additional sections.”

Compared to the current budget, the district will increase spending on instruction by around 2.89 percent, transportation by around $800,000, or 6.03 percent, and general support by around 2.9 percent.

Sayville School District

Voters in the Sayville School District approved a $105.7 million budget for the 2025-2026 school year, with 1,895 votes in favor and 849 against. The approved budget decreases from the 2024-2025 budget by around $350,000, or .33 percent, and the tax levy will increase by 2.2 percent, below the district’s cap of 2.32 percent.

The administrative budget has increased by $398,063, while the capital budget has decreased $793,348.

The $398,063 increase in the proposed 2025-2026 schoolyear budget is heavily allocated to increasing insurance and BOCES costs. The remaining increase will go toward contractual increases across the Sayville School District.

The unallocated insurance in the administrative budget had a 26.64 percent increase from $632,479 to $801,000 (a difference of $168,521).

Budget revenue streams have all decreased this year, with $351,838 less in revenue, $597,197 being from state aid.

In an election for two open seats on the district’s Board of Education, Christopher Robertson defeated Alyson Ryan and Jason Rowland for a three-year term to succeed outgoing trustee Maureen Dolan.

Incumbent trustee Christine Sarni won reelection to her seat with 1,443 votes, defeating challenger Teal Rizzo, who received 1,271 votes.

“We have wonderful students and teachers here in Sayville!” Robertson said. “I want to give them the full support, tools and equipment they deserve to create an amazing learning environment.”

The budgets for Sayville’s Public Library and Historic Society also passed with more than 2,100 votes in favor of each.

Bayport-Blue Point School District

Voters in the Bayport-Blue Point School District approved an $89.1 million budget for the 2025-2026 school year, with 797 votes in favor and 319 against. The approved budget is around $3.3 million, a 3.8 percent increase from the 2024-2025 budget. The budget also increases the tax levy by 3.45 percent, at the district’s maximum limit.

The increased budget is mainly due to increases in general support by around $600,000, instruction by around $1.4 million, transportation by around $133,000, and debt services and employee benefits by around $3.3 million.

Voters also passed a second ballot proposition, establishing a capital reserve, in addition to the school budget, with 797 votes in favor and 298 against. The reserve can be funded up to $10 million over the next 10 years from fund balance when and if possible. This money will be used to complete projects around the district in the future and will not have an impact on the tax levy or budget.

In an election for the Bayport-Blue Point Board of Education, newcomer Jack Sautter defeated challengers Robert McLaughlin and Adam Schneider with 679 votes to fill a three-year term, replacing outgoing trustee John Kroog.

“I will work with and listen to all differing opinions, and through collaboration find solutions to future challenges,” Sautter said. “I will always follow the best ideas, even when they are not my own. Through active listening to all community members, robust participation in district functions, and support to school administrators, I will actively engage important issues that come before the BBP School Board.”

Incumbent trustees Sandi Kanne and Brian Johnson won re-election to their seats for three-year terms without opposition, with each receiving over 800 votes.