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Friday, January 26, 2024
Vol. 12, No. 4
HEALTH, WELLNESS SUOZZI BLASTS DEVINE PILIP REVISES & BEAUTY GUIDE FOR ALLEGED ETHNIC SLUR FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES PAGES 21-24
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Hochul calls for 0.61% fall in Port school aid
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MLK PEACE MARCH
Only 1 of 3 North Shore districts proposed to receive decrease BY C A M E RY N O A K ES Nearly all North Shore school districts are on the early list to receive an increase in state aid in the 2025 budget, with three school districts anticipating a cut in their allocations. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2025 budget proposal includes an allocation of $35.3 billion in state school aid. This is an increase of $825 million from the prior budget, or a rise of 2.4%. The $825 million proposed increase from budget to budget encompasses a $507 million increase for Foundation Aid – the state’s main education operating aid formula that is based on equity. The remaining $318 million increase is attributed to all other school aid programs. The 2025 budget proposal comes in the wake of the 2024 budget’s $3.1 billion increase in school aid – a historic increase in the state that amounted to a 10% increase from the prior budget. Despite increases in the state’s budget for school aid across Long Island and in Nassau County, some districts on Long Island’s North Shore will be seeing decreases in their state aid. Of the North Shore districts proposed to receive a decrease in their state aid in 2024-2025, the three are the New Hyde Park-Garden City Union
Free School District, Port Washington Union Free School District and Mineola Union Free School District. New Hyde Park-Garden City is facing the biggest cut in state aid on the North Shore, with a 2.13% decrease proposed. Last year, the district received $12,172,663 – an 18.89% increase from the year before – and is proposed to receive $11,912,975 in 2024-2025, a $259,688 decrease. Of the three facing a proposed decrease, Port Washington is proposed to receive the biggest cutback at $20,858,822. This represents a 0.61%, or $127,308 decrease, from the prior year, which saw Port receive $20,986,130 in state aid. In the 2023-2024 budget, Port saw a 42.25% bump in its state aid when it jumped by more than $6 million from $14,752,285 in 2022-2023. While Port is facing potential cuts in its state aid, it is still slated to be awarded the third most on the North Shore. Mineola’s state aid decrease is similar to that of Port’s, set at about a 0.63% decrease, with a proposal to receive $14,982,616 in the 2024-2025 year. This is $94,752 less than what it received last year at $15,077,368. Continued on Page 35
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ROSLYN UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Heights students march with hand-crafted messages for peace in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
R. Estates pushes forward in cell antenna opposition BY C A M E RY N O A K ES Roslyn Estates residents continued to push back against new cellular antennas in the village Monday night, questioning the safety of the
antennas for those living in the the neighborhood. “They’re not our friends here,” resident Jennifer Cherney said. “They’re going to do what they’re legally allowed to do under the law,
which is put up more antennas.” Dish Wireless cellphone service is proposing to install wireless communications equipment on top of the building at 1044 Northern Blvd. Continued on Page 34
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