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MARCH 18 - 24, 2026$
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Massapequa Schools outline first draft of budget, propostion By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
Erik Leei/Herald
Long Island Champs! For the first time in program history, Plainedge High School’s girls basketball team captured a Long Island title. The Red Devils defeated Shoreham-Wading River, 51-49, March 11 at Stony Brook University for the Class A crown. Story, more photos, page 6.
Town of Oyster Bay approves tax break Measure to help families of police officers killed in line of duty By MIKE POLANSKY cjames@liherald.com
The Town of Oyster Bay approved a new property tax exemption March 10 that will allow surviving spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty to receive a 50 percent exemption on the town portion of property taxes for their primary residence. The measure, adopted unanimously by the Town Board, implements a law approved by the State Legislature and signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in late 2025 authorizing municipalities to offer the exemption. The tax break applies only to the town portion of property tax bills. School districts, fire districts, vil-
lages and other municipalities must pass their own legislation to provide similar exemptions. Other Long Island towns — including Hempstead, Babylon, Huntington, Islip and Brookhaven — have adopted the exemption. The Town of North Hempstead is expected to consider the measure next month. In Nassau County, the Massapequa School Board approved the exemption at its March 5 meeting. Several Suffolk County districts — including South Huntington, Smithtown, Connetquot and Sayville — have also adopted it. Town officials highlighted the new law during a March 11 news conference at the Brian Moore AthCONTINUED ON PAGE 23
The Massapequa Board of Education continued reviewing the district’s proposed 2026-27 school budget during its March 5 meeting, with Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations Ryan Ruf presenting details on instructional spending that accounts for a significant portion of the nearly $190 million plan, and a proposed bond referendum for $2 million. Ruf outlined the instructional portion of the budget, which includes 185 of the district’s 282 budget codes and covers salaries and classroom-related expenses. Five budget codes for instructional salaries total $68,873,517, an increase of about $2.18 million compared with the current school year. “Education is a labor-intensive industry,” Ruf told the board, noting that staffing costs make up more than a third of the district’s total spending. District officials highlighted several smaller instructional expenses, including increases and planned purchases in several areas: •In-service training, which includes threat assessment training and dyslexia training for instructional staff. •Graduation expenses at Hofstra University, expected to rise from $27,000 to $38,000, partly be-
cause the district must switch diploma vendors to include the Seal of Civic Readiness on diplomas. •Adaptive physical education equipment for special education students at the Ames Campus. •A new laminator for East Lake Elementary School. •Teaching supplies at Massapequa High School, including funding for a Flags for Freedom event and upgrades to the school’s broadcasting studio. Special education remains a major portion of the budget. The district employs 306 fulltime equivalent staff members for in-district special education services, at a projected cost of $22,229,070. An additional $5,709,842 is expected to cover 47 students attending BOCES special education programs. The district also budgeted $1,382,171 for BOCES career and technical education tuition, with 87 Massapequa students projected to participate next year, compared with 81 this year. Athletics and co-curricular activities were also discussed. Ruf said the district expects to spend about $185,138 in referee fees, which increase when teams advance deeper into postseason play. “I like to brag that we probably pay more in referee fees than anybody else,” Ruf said. “I wish that there weren’t dollars associated with that, but that’s just the reality that we’re in.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 11