South Country school district proposes cutting 55.5 positions, including 43 teachers, to balance 2026-27 budget

The news that the South Country Central School District might eliminate more than four dozen positions — on top of the dozens cut this school year — has been “gutting,” parent Pania Rose said this week.

“How are our children supposed to learn properly with [fewer] teachers?” said Rose, whose two children attend elementary and middle school in the district.

Superintendent Antonio Santana last week announced that 55.5 positions, including 43 teachers, would need to be eliminated to help balance the 2026-27 budget. The proposed staffing cut is the latest effort by the district to contain a fiscal crisis that has come to a head in recent years.

The district, which has been implementing a three-year recovery plan to restore financial stability, faces a projected operating deficit of $6.6 million for 2026-27, according to spokesman Ron Edelson. For the current school year, the district cut 53.5 positions and froze discretionary spending, including for travel and conferences.

The district’s proposed $152 million spending plan for 2026-27, which has not been finalized, calls for a tax levy increase of up to 6.51%. But even with the levy increase and the staffing cuts, district officials said they were seeking state authorization to borrow more than $6.6 million under the latest draft proposal presented last week.

Edelson said Thursday the district is now looking to borrow up to $12 million to cover multiple years of deficits.

“We don't take the human impact of these decisions lightly,” Santana said at a board meeting last week. “At the same time, we have an obligation to take the steps necessary to place the district on stronger financial footing for the future.”

Budget overspent

An audit by accounting firm Cullen & Danowski found South Country overspent its voter-approved budget for 2024-25 by $3.5 million. By the time that school year ended in June, the district’s unassigned fund balance was negative $1.8 million, according to the audit.

The auditors said the district underestimated the costs for teaching, programs for students with disabilities and employee benefits and had unanticipated cost increases.

The problem was exacerbated by the district’s failure to adequately adjust for the ending of pandemic relief grants from the federal government that had supported expenses such as salaries and special education, despite caution from experts to not use temporary revenue to cover recurring costs, according to the audit.

South Country, like many other districts on Long Island, is also facing rising costs for health care and transportation. Enrollment has also decreased from more than 4,000 in 2020-21 to 3,798 in 2024-25.

Santana has said the drop in enrollment requires the district to realign staffing with student needs.

At last week’s board meeting, Santana said the proposed staffing cuts would only save the district about $202,000 because employee benefits are projected to increase by nearly 5%.

The staffing cuts would reduce elective courses and club activities but district officials said core programs will remain intact. The 55.5 figure includes 23.5 positions that would be eliminated through attrition, according to the district.

“It's honestly devastating,” Santana said at the board meeting. “These are not simply line items on a spreadsheet. They represent people. They represent colleagues who dedicated themselves to the district and have truly done amazing work for our students and our community.”

Reached for further comment, district officials referred Newsday to prior statements made to the community, including a March 12 letter in which Santana said the district is facing "significant financial pressure."

He added, "While we have made every effort to minimize the impact on students, the proposed staffing reductions are necessary to remain on track with the district’s fiscal recovery plan and to ensure the long-term financial health of our district."

Patrick Brady, president of the Bellport Teachers Association, which represents 398 teachers, social workers and others, said morale has been so low that “it’s almost non-existent.”

"We are struggling," said Brady, a special education teacher at Bellport High School.

State approval sought

Edelson said district leaders have spoken with their local lawmakers to submit the legislation necessary to allow it to finance its deficit. He said officials are hopeful the legislation will be included in the state’s budget, which has not yet been approved.

State Sen. Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue) declined to comment through his chief of staff. Assemb. Joe DeStefano (R-Medford) did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

A spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Wednesday: "The governor will negotiate with the legislature in the coming weeks to finalize the budget and ensure students in all school districts statewide have access to a quality education here in New York."

About two dozen parents and community members, including Rose, gathered outside Bellport High School on Wednesday in support of a student walkout to protest the proposed staffing cuts. The walkout was held on school grounds.

Alana Cornacchiulo, a 17-year-old senior who participated in the walkout, said the fallout of the district’s financial mismanagement has felt unfair.

“It's a huge hit to the morale of everyone. ... We have to pay for the mistakes of others even though they said they would take care of us,” she said.

In a letter sent to the community, Santana said, "We respect and value student voice, and we recognize that our students care deeply about their school community. In many ways, this reflects the kind of civic engagement and advocacy we hope to instill in our students."

The next board meeting is scheduled for March 25.