Vote on $211 million Riverhead school budget will take place Tuesday at the high school

Riverhead Central School District voters will head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to approve a $211.4 million spending plan for the next school year.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Riverhead High School gymnasium.

The budget proposes a tax levy increase at the district’s cap and requires a simple majority for approval. 

The proposal for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, which starts July 1, would increase expenditures by nearly $10 million, or roughly 5% over the current budget. The bulk of that spending increase — $7.7 million — is for costs associated with student instruction.

The spending increase would be funded by a combination of $5.6 million in additional state aid, a $2.3 million increase in the property tax levy, and a $2 million increase in other revenues, according to the proposal.

There are a few personnel changes included in the budget proposal. 

According to Interim Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich, three central administration positions are being cut: executive director of elementary education, director of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and director of humanities. The responsibilities of the STEM and humanities directors will be divided among five teachers, who will assume new administrative positions while continuing to teach part-time.

Pedisich said three positions on the secondary level are being eliminated through attrition or retirement: a business teacher, a technology teacher and a psychologist. A new elementary school literacy coach is being added in the budget, she said. 

The budget documents are available to view on the school district’s website.

If voters reject the budget plan, the school board could either put a modified budget proposal up for a vote, adopt a contingency budget with no tax increase, or put the same budget up for another vote in June.

Capital project on the ballot

There is one capital project propositions on the ballot this year: a $2.93 million renovation and improvement of the kitchens at the Riley Avenue and Phillips Avenue elementary school cafeterias. This project is funded by profits made by the district’s cafeterias and will have no impact on the tax rate, according to Assistant Superintendent for Business Marianne Cartisano.

School board election is uncontested

Two Riverhead school board incumbents — Board President James Scudder and Trustee Matthew Wallace — are running unopposed for reelection this year. 

Scudder, 51, of Aquebogue is seeking his first full term. He joined the school board in May 2023, filling a vacancy left by a resignation, after placing fourth in that year’s election. He is a father of three and a music teacher in the Bayport-Blue Point School District. He was chosen by the school board to serve as its president last July.

Wallace, 54, of Calverton is seeking a third term of office. He was first elected in 2019 and served as the board’s vice president during the 2021-2022 school year. He is a father of four and a licensed practical nurse at Northwell Family Health in Riverhead.

School board members are unpaid volunteers who serve three-year terms. The seven-member Riverhead Board of Education’s responsibilities include setting the school district’s educational policies and goals, establishing the district budget, and overseeing the district’s management.

Correction 5/20/2025: This article has been amended to correct an error regarding an $28 million energy performance contract was incorrectly listed as being on the ballot.