Herricks School Board Trustee Henry Zanetti announced he would not seek reelection at the March 5 Board of Education meeting as the district administration presented projected expenses of $149,312,913 for its 2026-2027 budget.
Zanetti will complete his ninth year on the board this summer and said his decision comes in tandem with his wife’s retirement. Trustees and community members extended thanks and well-wishes after his announcement.
“Now that my wife will be around, I’ll need some more time to do things with her,” Zanetti said. “Thank you to all who have come to the meetings over the years, and I thank everybody who trusted me to be in this position.”
The budget presentation included a tentative tax levy increase of 2.12% over the previous levy, below the district’s maximum allowable increase of 2.3%. Herricks has averaged a 1.7% increase over the last 11 years, according to a presentation by Superintendent Tony Sinanis and Assistant Superintendent for Business Lisa Rutkoske.
The projected expenditure is $4,769,703 (3.3%) over last year’s expenditure. Sinanis said the highest contributors to the expenditure column are increased salaries from collective bargaining agreements, higher insurance premiums, transportation costs and increased special education costs.
Rutkoske said payroll accounts for about $1.4 million of the increase. She said benefit costs are increasing as well, which is not unique to Herricks, as insurance rates are growing nationwide.
She said transportation costs are projected to increase as well, as the district’s current contract with transportation vendors will not be renewed. She said the district will have to shop for a new contract and anticipates an increase of about $1 million.
Rutkoske said the district has purchased buses for the 2025-2026 year, which will offset the burden on next year’s budget and also has an in-house transportation team. She said the district will conduct a study of its electric vehicles to monitor which purchases may be needed in the future.
“We are seeing an increase in our special education population,” Rutkoske said. “That is for next year, roughly a $1.2 million increase.”
Budget approval and board candidates will be determined in the May 19 district election.
Two board seats will be up for grabs election. Zanetti’s soon-to-be vacant seat is available, and Trustee Jim Gounaris will be seeking reelection. Anyone who wishes to enter a petition for candidacy must register with District Clerk Elizabeth Napolitano by April 20.
In addition to budget and board seats, three voter propositions will be on the ballot in the upcoming election.
The propositions pertain to capital reserve funding. The district is pursuing three projects, and needs public approval to allocate previously funded capital reserve money to replace boilers in two district buildings and upgrade the lighting system at Herricks High School’s turf athletic field.
Rutkoske said capital funds from 2015 and 2019 will be used for these renovations. She said that previous projects, including last year’s boiler replacements, have nearly exhausted the money raised after 2015. If this year’s proposition passes, the district will fully expend the remainder of the 2015 fund and begin dipping into the 2019 fund.
She said the public must approve the creation of capital funds by vote and that once approved, the district has 10 years to fill the fund with any excess revenue from annual budgets. The district is also including the creation of a new capital fund in a third proposition to be considered by the voting public.
The 2026 capital fund, if approved by the public in May, will take 10 years to reach its $9 million target, according to the presentation.
Sinanis said the district will complete its Building Condition Survey this summer as required every five years by the New York Department of Education.
He said the survey and the work of the recently reconvened Facilities Committee will determine where investment is most needed in the district’s facilities operations.
