West Islip BOE approves $139M budget as parents address safety concerns
The meeting comes after police say a student brought a gun and ammunition to the high school Monday.
The West Islip Board of Education approved the 2024-2025 district budget Tuesday night as parents asked questions about the safety of their children.
The vote to approve the nearly $139 million budget comes as lawmakers in Albany still work to finalize the numbers going to districts statewide. Voters will vote on the proposed budget in May.
"As you all know, the state is still releasing the aid dollars,” said Board Vice President Peter McCann. “We're still finalizing that, but we baked everything into the budget to account for that. So, we're approving that tonight with those numbers."
Many parents News 12 spoke to mainly came to the meeting Tuesday night to learn about safety measures in the district.
This comes after police say a student brought a gun and ammunition to the high school Monday.
Parents like Jacqueline Baynes want to know how much money is going to their child's safety next year.
"I would love to see where things are going just so I know that it really is going to the most important place, which is the safety of our kids," she said.
The board didn’t present many details about the budget during Tuesday night’s meeting. News 12 will provide updates as they come in.
