April 14, 2026
The New York State Comptroller's office is warning that South Country Central School District faces a financial debt exceeding $10 million if the district doesn't get its spending under control. The report, released this week, found that the Bellport-based district consistently underestimated budget items by thousands of dollars for years while leaning too heavily on one-time funding sources like federal COVID-19 relief money.
According to the comptroller's report, South Country repeatedly under-budgeted for line items including workers' compensation, transportation, and BOCES costs. The district also relied way too much on temporary funding streams that were never meant to be permanent.
"You need to make sure you have recurring revenues for recurring expenditures. Budgeting 101," said Ira McCracken from the state comptroller's office.
The numbers tell a stark story. Auditors found the district overspent its 2024-25 voter-approved budget by roughly $3.5 million, leading to a $16 million drop in the general fund balance. The unassigned fund balance now sits at a deficit of about $1.8 million. When the temporary federal COVID-relief funds expired, costs for salaries and special education programs shifted straight back to the general fund, and the district wasn't ready for it.
Superintendent Antonio Santana has proposed cutting 55 positions to help close the budget gap, including 43 teachers and five administrators. The cuts are part of a three-year fiscal recovery plan developed with input from independent auditors and John Belmonte, the district's interim superintendent for finance and management services.
In a letter to families, Santana said the administration is "looking at all feasible options to help close this year's budget gap" while trying to preserve core academic programming. The district's current budget for 2025-26 is $147.2 million, and rising costs in health insurance, special student services, and transportation keep outpacing revenue.
Parents across East Patchogue and Bellport are understandably alarmed. Some of the proposed cuts hit close to home in ways that go beyond numbers on a spreadsheet.
"They're talking about cutting the library at the elementary school," said parent Shannon Marshall at a recent board meeting. "How are you going to get students excited to read if there's no library?"
Former school board member Cameron Trent echoed that concern: "When I was a student, experiencing those things helped me grow as a productive citizen. But when we peel away those resources, students go to school with the bare minimum."
The school board acknowledged the comptroller's findings in a letter to the community, saying the report aligns with the external audits the district already completed. They say they're working on a recovery plan with the state, but warned that if it isn't approved, it would require "decisions that fundamentally and permanently reduce what our schools can offer."
The comptroller's office is recommending three key steps: stop relying on one-time revenue sources, keep up with financial trend analysis, and monitor budgets more frequently to catch problems early.
The Board of Education has rescheduled its April 1 meeting to April 15 at the Bellport Middle School Auditorium, starting at 5 PM. A budget forum Q&A will follow. The board is expected to approve a final budget proposal on April 22. District residents who want a say in how this plays out should plan to show up.
The annual budget vote, where taxpayers get the final word on the spending plan, is expected in May. With the district already under a discretionary spending freeze through June 2026, the decisions made in the next few weeks will shape what South Country schools look like for years to come.
