District overview
Great Neck Union Free School District
How Great Neck Public Schools are funded, who decides, and what is underway
Who pays for Great Neck's schools?
Great Neck is an ordinary formula-funded New York district, but local property taxes carry most of the load. In 2026-27 about $251.6 million of the $297.4 million budget (about 85%) comes from the property tax levy. State aid is only about $16 million, roughly 5%. New York's tax cap limits how fast the levy can grow, and the district says it has stayed inside it. Voters approve the budget every May.
Property taxes raise about 85% of the budget
The 2026-27 levy is $251,645,932, up 3.04% from $244,222,078. A budget that stays within the tax cap passes with a simple majority; the 2026-27 budget passed 1,979 to 580.
State aid is small
Estimated state aid is about $16.0 million, up only $54,431 (0.34%) from last year, after a mid-year cut of nearly $700,000 in 2025-26. Pre-K aid is counted separately and does not reduce the general fund levy.
The tax cap grows slower than costs
The cap's main factor is 2% or inflation, whichever is lower. Officials say inflation averaged 4.48% a year over five years, while the cap allowed about 10% total growth. Health insurance (nearly $40 million) and transportation grow faster than 2%.
Who decides
A five-member Board of Education elected districtwide to three-year terms makes budget and policy decisions (President Grant Toch, Vice President Steve Chen, Joanne Chan, Donna Peirez, Marisa Brandeis Kermanian). Dr. Kenneth Bossert is superintendent under a contract that runs to June 30, 2030. Student ex-officio members sit at meetings without a vote.
None of this means the district is under strain. The state comptroller gives it a zero fiscal-stress score and Moody's rates it Aaa. The pressure is that costs rise faster than the cap, and that enrollment is projected to fall while fixed costs such as debt stay.
Where the district stands
Up $7,377,350 (2.54%) from $289,998,600. About 77.5% goes to programs, 15% to capital and facilities, and 7.5% to administration.
Up 3.04%. District says this is within the state tax cap.
PK-12 plus alternate settings. Peak in recent years was 6,812 in 2019-20.
Down 411 (6.2%) from 2025-26; grades K-5 are projected to fall from 2,382 to 2,174.
About $12.99 million of fund balance and reserves was used to balance the 2025-26 budget; $12.73 million is planned for 2026-27.
About $59.4 million in principal and interest remains through 2041-42.
Calculation: $297,375,950 divided by 6,241 projected students. It includes transportation, debt, capital projects, and about $11.3 million in services for private and non-public school students, so it is not classroom spending per student.
Instruction $150.7 million (up 1.57%); employee benefits $73.7 million (up 2.55%); transportation $19.0 million (up 4.97%).
Major projects
South High athletic complex (Phase II)
Approved by voters; building permit and construction aheadA synthetic turf field, resurfaced track, 500 more grandstand seats, lighting, a new restroom and concession building, parking and drainage at the South High campus. Total about $10 million.
- Administration proposes using the Capital Reserve for Phase II
- Board places Proposition 2 on the ballot with the adopted budget
- Voters approve Proposition 2, 2,030 to 570
- Superintendent says similar complex to be built on the south campus next summer
Funding
$4,945,000 from the 2024 Capital Reserve Fund (voter-approved) plus about $5.05 million in the 2026-27 operating budget; about $625,600 in state building aid over 15 years
District says no borrowing and no added tax levy.
Full-day pre-kindergarten
Planning; not yet approved by the boardMove from half-day pre-K at Parkville and JFK to a district-funded full day in every elementary building, with classes of 18. Families now pay about $5,000 a year for the optional Fun for Fours second half of the day.
- Administrators present the exploration to the board; launch hoped for 2027-28
Funding
State pre-K grant plus general fund; the state governor has proposed a full-day mandate by 2028-29
No cost estimate was given in the meeting.
Annual summer building projects
Ongoing every summerAbout $19 million of work was done in 2026, including the North Middle School turf field. The 2026-27 budget plans $12.36 million of capital spending: South High site work, E.M. Baker flooring and ceilings, Lakeville toilets and HVAC, North High lockers, North Middle ceilings and gym curtain, Grace Avenue Senior Center windows, oil-tank removal and four buses.
- Facilities staff report on summer 2026 work
- Board adopts budget with $12.36 million in capital spending
Funding
2026-27 operating budget (about $11.9 million in capital projects plus $455,000 for buses); 2017 bond debt is paid separately at about $4.3 million a year
Recent news
Figures marked verified come from district documents and board meeting recordings (auto-generated captions). Figures marked context are our own arithmetic or outside comparisons. Board names and roles come from the district website and the July 1, 2026 reorganization meeting.
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