If you live in the South Country Central School District, today is the day. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the West Gym of Bellport Middle School, 35 Kreamer Street, for the revote on a revised 2026-27 budget. It’s a very different proposal from the one voters rejected last month, with a significantly smaller tax hike and a much deeper cut list.
Here’s what changed and what’s at stake.
What’s on the ballot now
After the original $150 million budget failed 2,747 to 1,105 in May, the board chose to bring back a leaner version rather than move straight to a contingency budget. According to News 12, the revised plan brings spending down to $144 million and cuts the proposed tax levy increase from 13.5 percent to 5.5 percent.
That’s a notable shift. The original proposal tried to pierce the district’s calculated 5.52 percent tax cap, which is why it needed a 60 percent supermajority and lost so badly. The revised number sits just under that cap.
The trade-off is bigger cuts. The district’s interim leadership has outlined reductions across the board, including:
- Elimination of 34 additional full-time positions, on top of the roughly 60 already cut in the first proposal
- An end to late bus services
- Larger class sizes
- Cuts to junior varsity sports programs
- Cuts to elective courses at the high school
- Reductions in administration and programming
That’s a real hit to programming. The district’s view is that this is the version they could responsibly bring back to voters given the financial pressure the schools are under.
What happens if the budget fails again
This is the part residents should weigh carefully. If today’s revote fails, the district moves automatically to a contingency budget. Under state rules that means a zero percent tax levy increase, a spending cap roughly tied to last year’s total, and significant cuts to anything considered non-essential.
In South Country’s case, Interim Superintendent John Dolan told News 12 that under contingency all sports would have to be canceled, and that rebuilding from that position would likely take three to five years under tighter state guidelines.
That isn’t a scare tactic so much as a statement about how thin the financial margin already is. The state had to step in earlier this year with an $18 million loan to keep the district solvent, and a review by the New York State Comptroller’s office found the district facing a roughly $8.7 million current-year deficit with no surplus fund balance to cushion it.
How to vote today
The vote runs 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the West Gym of Bellport Middle School. You can check your voter registration online through the Suffolk County Board of Elections. To vote, you need to be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, a resident of the district for at least 30 days, and registered either with the district or with Suffolk County.
If you requested an absentee or early mail ballot, it must be received by the District Clerk by 5 p.m. today. Questions about ballots or registration go to District Clerk Christine Flynn at (631) 730-1542.
Where to read the actual budget
If you want to see the numbers before you head to the polls, the district has posted the revised 2026-27 budget and property tax report card along with the most recent budget presentations on its budget vote page. The June 9 budget hearing presentation and the IMG Executive Summary are also linked there. Reading the source documents is the most reliable way to form your own view.
We’ll update this story tonight or tomorrow with the unofficial results, and again once the district clerk certifies the count.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only. Polling details, ballot deadlines, and budget figures reflect information published by South Country Central School District and reporting available at the time of writing. For official information, contact the District Clerk or visit southcountry.org.
© 2026 by MyBellport.com All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission.
