1. District Budget – Include funding in the budget for smaller scale capital projects.​
2. Capital Reserve – Use funds out of the capital reserve that is built up over time with fund balance that exists at the end of a school year. ​
3. Bond – Borrow funds for large scale projects that need to be completed. ​

Bond funds are dedicated to long-term facility improvements and cannot be used for salaries or daily operating expenses.

For the average home in Wantagh with a value of $563,000 the estimated per month increase in School Taxes is $27.

A Capital Improvements Committee was formed by the Board of Education last year to recommend projects for consideration. The committee presented their findings to the Board of Education in June 2026. 

The Bond vote date will be Tuesday, December 1, 2026 from 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Forest Lake, Mandalay, and Wantagh Elementary Schools.

Anyone 18 years or older who resides within our district boundaries is eligible to vote. Election day is Tuesday, December 1 at Forest Lake, Mandalay, and Wantagh Elementary schools. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Registered voters may cast their ballot at their regular polling location.

Updates will be shared through district communications and public reports.

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Please contact Kimberly Thomas, Public Information Officer, with any questions at thomask@wantaghschools.org. 

Yes. Wantagh UFSD receives 58% in New York State Building Aid for approved facility projects. The district is estimated to receive approximately $43,790,000 in state building aid, which breaks down to about $2,433,000 per year to help offset the debt repayment schedule. Debt service is structured over a 15-year payback period, with state aid anticipated across 18 years.

September 2027: Elementary Playgrounds, Mandalay Bathrooms, Mandalay Irrigation & Seeding.

January 2028: District Auditorium Renovation.

April 2028: Varsity Athletic Fields (WHS) & JV Athletic Fields (Forest Lake).

September 2028: District Maintenance Building & WHS Band/Choir Addition.

April 2029: Wantagh Elementary Pre-K Addition & Athletic Barn.

Ongoing Projects: Asphalt paving/curb work, security upgrades, and plumbing upgrades.

The additional UPK classrooms will ultimately allow the district to provide in-district UPK for all students in the district. The goal is to have a UPK program accessible to all students in the elementary school they are zoned to attend. This will allow students to become acclimated to their school and attend the same school from UPK to grade five. 

The district anticipates the same level of use of the Forest Lake fields that currently takes place. In addition to creating two turf multi-purpose fields, the district intends to add additional parking with up to 50 spaces for people attending games at Forest Lake as spectators. This will help alleviate parking along Beltagh Avenue in front of the fields. The district is reviewing two different parking plans. 

The project at Wantagh High School includes additional lights for the turf baseball, softball and multi-purpose field that would be constructed. The project at Forest Lake does not include field lights. There are existing lights on the softball/little league field that would remain, but there are no additional lights currently called for in the plans. 

Many residents note that many homes in Wantagh are worth significantly more than $563,000.

The important thing to understand is that school taxes are not based on a home's market value or sale price. Instead, school taxes are based on the property's assessed value, which is determined by Nassau County for tax purposes.

The District's estimate of about $27 per month is based on the average taxable assessed value of residential properties in Wantagh after any applicable exemptions are applied. This is the same method typically used when school districts estimate the impact of its budget on taxpayers.

Because every property has a different assessment and different exemptions, the actual impact will vary from homeowner to homeowner. However, the $27 monthly estimate reflects the expected impact on the average residential property in the District.

Key Takeaway: The $27 monthly estimate is not based on the market value of your home. It is based on the average assessed value used by Nassau County to calculate school taxes. Actual costs will vary based on your property's assessment and exemptions.

The District's architect and construction manager prepared cost estimates for each proposed project. Their estimates include:

• Construction costs
• Professional services and design fees
• Project management costs
• Project contingency costs
• Expected future construction price increases

The District's financial advisor then analyzes the proposed total financing and develops a financing plan. This analysis considers:

• Project financing costs
• Estimated interest rates
• The repayment schedule for the bonds
• Expected New York State building aid

After these factors are applied, the District calculates the estimated tax impact on the average Wantagh homeowner. That calculation is what produces the estimated monthly cost presented to the public.

Requests for an absentee ballot and all other voting questions may be directed to the District Clerk at 516-765-4103 or by email at mcguigane@wantaghschools.org.