South Country freezes discretionary spending through June 2026

The South Country School District has frozen “discretionary spending” through the end of the current fiscal year, which is June 30, 2026, acting assistant superintendent for finance and management services John Belmonte said in a letter to district employees.
“The spending freeze applies to all non-essential purchases, travel and new initiatives,” Belmonte said in the letter dated Nov. 6.

“Moving forward, only essential items absolutely necessary to operate your programs and buildings through the end of this fiscal year will be considered for approval,” the letter said.

In an email response to questions, district superintendent Antonio Santana said he doesn’t foresee the spending freeze affecting programs for students.

Field trips that are essential to education will continue, Santana said. But others “will be considered on a case-by-case basis.”

The district’s action comes within weeks after the district said it overspent its $143 million 2024-2025 budget by nearly $3.5 million.

An audit by Cullen & Danowski, the district’s outside auditors, found “budget estimates for several expenditure categories were not sufficient to cover actual 2024–25 spending due to a combination of ineffective budgeting practices and unanticipated cost increases. Key areas of underestimation included central services, teaching—regular school, programs for students with disabilities, occupational education, teaching—special schools, and employee benefits.”

The report also said, “The District’s budgeting process did not adequately adjust for the expiration of one-time federal COVID-relief grants that had previously supported recurring expenditures such as salaries and special education costs.”

The auditors’ report can be found on the district’s website.

The district has also hired Investigative Management Group to conduct a forensic audit.

“We still await the results of the pending forensic audit, sometimes known as a ‘root cause analysis,’ and we expect to have more questions answered by that report,” School Board president E. Anne Hayes said in a Nov. 13 letter to the South Country community, posted on the district’s website.

The district’s fiscal 2025-2026 $147 million budget, which voters approved in May, reduced the employee headcount by 51.2 full-time equivalents (FTEs), including some through layoffs, the Long Island Advance previously reported.

Pat Brady, president of the Bellport Teachers Association, which includes teachers and other professionals, said 18 of his members were excessed. Three of them were subsequently called back to work, he said.

Hayes said in her Nov. 13 letter, “We remain committed to our shared goal—to build trust and confidence, protect taxpayer resources, and ensure an exceptional educational experience for every District student. Working in partnership is what makes us stronger together.”