The East Williston Board of Education voted to add a proposition on this year’s budget vote to draw up to $3,191,690 from its 2023 capital reserve fund for infrastructure projects at its Monday, March 23, meeting.
Deputy Superintendent Diane Castonguay said the project focuses on auditorium and roof work at the Wheatley School as well as library upgrades at both Northside Elementary and Wheatley.
“[The proposition is] so that we can expend monies from a capital reserve that has already been established and funded,” she said. “It’s not an increase to the budget.”
On March 11, the district presented a tentative 2026/2027 budget overview, totaling $74,281,480, a $1,829,677 (2.53%) increase over last year’s adopted budget. Part of that increase is a proposed 2.08% increase on the tax levy, totaling over $1.3 million.
According to the district, East Williston has a total enrollment of 1,583 for the 2026/2027 school year. Comparing this to the proposed budget, the district would spend around $46,924 per student, based on its total budget.
According to the New York Department of Education, the district had 1,571 students in the 2024/2025 school year. If enrollment remained steady in 2025/2026, the district may have spent an estimated $40,000 per student last year.
Per-pupil spending is helpful for comparing budgets year to year, but is incomplete for comparing across districts. Some factors, including higher percentages of secondary education or special education students, can lead to higher per-pupil spending.
At the board meeting, trustees voted on several personnel and procurement matters.
They approved election workers, accepted three resignations and confirmed several appointments for full-time and substitute teachers as well as staff.
Jonathan Jeanes, whom the board appointed as a probationary science teacher at Wheatley, was present at the meeting.
“We welcome you to the East Williston school district,” Board President Mark Kamberg said.
The board also authorized including those with an instructional consultant, educational presenters, and several neighboring school districts for services for students attending non-public schools.
During the board meeting, Michael Scaturro, athletics director, presented honors to winter-sports athletes.
Two students performed an excerpt from “Bye Bye Birdie,” Wheatley’s spring musical, which will be performed this weekend, starting on Thursday, March 26.
