District overview
Sewanhaka Central High School District
A five-high-school district in western Nassau County, funded by four elementary districts' taxpayers
Who pays for the five high schools, and who decides?
Sewanhaka serves grades 7-12 in five high schools (Elmont Memorial, Floral Park Memorial, H. Frank Carey, New Hyde Park Memorial and Sewanhaka). It has no elementary schools. Residents of four component elementary districts (Elmont, Floral Park-Bellerose, Franklin Square, New Hyde Park-Garden City Park) pay its property tax, and vote on its budget and board at their local elementary district polling places.
Mostly local tax
For 2026-27 the district proposed a tax levy of $173,970,083, up 1.68% from $171,087,934, and about $82.5 million in projected state aid (including $60.0 million of Foundation Aid).
Eight trustees, two per community
Each component elementary district sends two trustees. The 2026-27 board is James Reddan (President), Lynette Battle, Domenico Ciaccio, Binu Jacob, Jaclyn O'Donohue, Rosemarie Peltonen, Stephen Toto and Dr. Shirley Wheeler-Massey; the vice president seat is listed as TBD.
Regular meetings rotate
The board meets the fourth Tuesday of most months at 8:00 p.m., rotating among the five high schools. Five students serve as non-voting ex officio student board members.
Tax cap and voter threshold
The district said a levy within the state tax cap needs a simple majority (50% plus one); exceeding it would need 60%. The 2026-27 levy was presented as cap-compliant.
This page is built from documents on the district website. Board agendas and minutes are on BoardDocs, which could not be collected, so votes and discussion at meetings are mostly not shown.
Where the district stands
Up 5.26% from $264,214,795 in 2025-26. Voters were scheduled to decide May 19, 2026; the result is not in the collected record.
Levy of $173,970,083; the district called it tax-cap compliant.
Down 0.34% from 7,673. The district's distraction-free report counts 7,626 enrolled students.
Context: $278,105,783 divided by 7,647 students. It includes transportation, special education tuition, debt and capital costs, not only classroom spending.
Includes Foundation Aid $60,043,433 and Transportation Aid $10,603,411.
The largest single driver of an $11.6 million Program budget increase; special education adds $3.9 million.
One of several reserves; others include a $7.5 million teacher retirement sub-fund and an $8.0 million employee benefit liability reserve.
35.6% of 7,626 students; 10,097 total violations, each with a parent notification.
The district publishes all agendas and minutes since August 2017 on BoardDocs, which cannot be stored from this system.
Major projects
2025 Capital Reserve projects
Put to voters May 19, 2026 (result not in collected record)A proposition would spend $15 million (plus interest, and about $1 million left from the 2021 reserve) from the 2025 Capital Reserve on air conditioning in all five high school auditoriums, renovating the Carey guidance suite, new cafeteria furniture in all five schools and districtwide repairs. The district said approval carries no added tax cost.
- Voters created the school district capital reserve (up to $10 million)
- Voters approved up to $5,750,000 for cafeterias, kitchens, a CTE expansion and interior upgrades
- Voters approved up to $4,250,000 more, exhausting the 2021 reserve
- 2025 Capital Reserve approved by voters (per the district's 2026 notice: 'approved by voters in May 2025')
- Final budget presentation lists the two capital reserve propositions
- Budget vote and capital reserve propositions scheduled
Funding
Capital Reserve (money already set aside); no additional tax per the district
Also $33,989,394 proposed in the 2026-27 capital budget line.
New student immigration-protection policy (Policy 5120)
First review, August 2026The board reviewed a model policy implementing New York Education Law 3201-b, which keeps school staff from helping immigration enforcement access students or non-public school areas without a federal judicial warrant, and bars asking about immigration status.
- State law's statutory effective date
- Posted for first review
Funding
No dedicated funding; state-required policy
Lead in drinking water remediation
Fixtures removed from service, October 2025State-required testing in October 2025 found ten fixtures above the 5 parts per billion action level at four of the five high schools. The plan says each was shut off when results arrived and is pending remediation.
- Sampling began
- Sampling finished; high-reading fixtures removed from service
- Remediation plan posted
Funding
Not stated in the plan
Recent news
Built from the district's budget notice, budget presentations, detailed budget and property tax report card, reserves plan, audit documents, board policy postings and web pages. Figures marked verified appear in a stored district document; per-student figures and comparisons are calculations. BoardDocs agendas and minutes are not included.
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