Residents will be asked to vote on the 2024-2025 budget. Details of the proposed budget can be found on this web page.

The district will be asking district residents for consideration to expend funds from a previously created capital reserve and for which funding is currently available. Specifically, the request will be to expend up to $1,200,000 to replace and upgrade the public address, classroom intercom and communication systems in each of the district’s buildings. The actual ballot language is as follows:

 “Shall the Board of Education be authorized pursuant to Section 3651 of the Education Law to appropriate and expend an amount not to exceed the total estimated cost (including accrued interest) of One Million Two Hundred Thousand ($1,200,000) Dollars from the capital reserve fund established by voters of the School District at the annual meeting held on May 15, 2018, for the following projects: Upgrade and replacement of the public address and classroom intercom and communication systems at Forest Lake Elementary School, Mandalay Elementary School, Wantagh Elementary School, Wantagh Middle School and Wantagh High School.”  

The district will be asking for community consideration to establish a new capital reserve fund. The new fund would have a fundng limit of $10,000,000 and can be funded over a period of 15 years. When either the maximum dollars has been reached or time has passed, this fund would be unable to receive any future funding. In addition, all expenditures from the fund would need community approval. Its purpose would be to fund future capital work districtwide. Specifically, the ballot language will read as follows: 

“Shall the Board of Education of the Wantagh Union Free School District be authorized to establish a capital reserve fund pursuant to Section 3651 of the New York Education Law to be known as the 2024 Capital Reserve Fund for a probable term of fifteen (15) years, with the ultimate principal amount therein to total up to Ten Million ($10,000,000) Dollars, plus interest earnings thereon; whose purpose shall be to fund in whole or in part, safety and security enhancements, districtwide repairs, renovations, additions, and improvements (i.e., capital improvements to the facilities of the District, including, but not limited to, reconstruction and renovation of facilities, roofing, asbestos abatement, heating/ventilation, masonry work, windows, site work and related work), as well as the purchase of passenger vehicles (other than a school bus) having a seating capacity of less than ten persons when purchased to replace a similar vehicle previously in service for three years or more, with such funds to be obtained from budget appropriations and the interest accrued thereon, and unappropriated fund balances made available by the Board of Education.” 

Sample Ballot

A copy of a Sample Ballot will be provided here once the ballot is prepared and finalized. 

Estimated 2024-2025 Revenue

The tax levy cap legislation continues to effect school district budgets, including the 2024-2025 school year (this proposed budget).

It is important to note that the cap is the growth in the tax levy (the amount of taxes collected to run the district) and not a cap on tax rates or individual tax bills. Tax bills will fluctuate, up or down, in amounts that may exceed 2%.

The information presented here is designed to provide residents with the components of the actual calculation of the tax cap for Wantagh UFSD. 

The tax levy cap also sets budget approval requirements. A proposed budget with a resulting tax levy at or below the cap requires only a simple majority for approval. A proposed budget that exceeds the cap requires a 60% majority of voter approval.

The following are reproduced with permission from Capital Region and Questar III BOCES:

• New York's Tax Levy "Cap" Formula: How Does It Add Up?
• The Three Tax Levy Numbers Under New York State's Tax Levy "Cap"

Calculation of Wantagh UFSD Maximum Allowable Levy

2024-2025 Comprehensive Budget

• Athletic Team Details

The links below are all the same version of the proposed budget but with differing levels of detail. 

• 2024-2025 Budget with expenditure data
• 2024-2025 Budget by function
• 2024-2025 Budget -  3 Part Format

The 3 Part format is required by NYS law and reports budgeted expenditures in 3 categories, namely administrative, program (instructional) and capital.

Wantagh Budget Newsletter

In accordance with NYS law, the following documents are required to be provided to district residents:

• 6 Day Budget Notice
• Property Tax Report Card
• Property Tax Exemption Report (This is the latest available from Nassau County)
• Compensation Disclosure

School District Report Card informtation can be obtained directly from the NYS Education Department website. 

For convenience, all of the latest report card information can also be accessed at the link below.  

Combined Report Card Information For:

• Wantagh School District 
• Mandalay Elementary School
• Forest Lake Elementary School
• Wantagh Elementary School
• Wantagh Middle School
• Wantagh High School

Fiscal Accountability Supplement (This data is from 2022-23. 2023-24 data will be made available at data.nysed.gov)