Long Island schools see increase in state aid

Rebecca Klar
East Williston's Board of Education discussed upcoming capital projects during a March 22 meeting. (Photo courtesy of East Williston Union Free School District)

About $63 million in state aid is going to five districts across the Mineola and New Hyde Park area, according to data reported in Newsday.

East Williston Union Free School District will see the largest increase of schools in the area of about 6.81 percent. The district will receive $3,516,353 in aid.

On average, schools across Long Island saw a 3.57 percent increase in aid.

Sewanhaka Central High School District is receiving the most aid of schools in the area at $35,283, 652, a 3.46 percent increase from last year.

Mineola Union Free School District will get $6,925,160, a 4.45 percent increase.

New Hyde Park-Garden City Park will get $5,438, 407, a 2.95 percent increase.

Herricks Public Schools will receive $11,157,010, a 4.26 percent increase from last year.

At a Herricks budget hearing in February, when the final state aid amount was unknown because the budget had not been finalized, Superintendent Fino Celano said the district receives less in foundation aid than it should based on the formula created by the state in 2007.

At the time, Herricks expected to get about $11.9 million in state aid.

Celano had said the district was receiving more than $4.7 million less than it should in foundation aid.

Over $26 billion of the $168.3 billion New York State budget which passed is going to schools across the state  – 3.9 percent higher than last year.

Other school districts on the North Shore, such as Great Neck Public Schools, Manhasset Union Free School District, Roslyn School District and Port Washington Union Free School District also saw an increase in state aid.

Manhasset will receive 1.61 percent more, and Roslyn will Receive 1.34 percent more.

Great Neck and Port Washington are seeing nearly double the average increase in aid across Long Island with 7.4 percent and 7.53 percent respectively.

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