‘No fiscal stress’ designation given to ESM, Center Moriches, East Moriches and William Floyd

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Each of the local school districts has received a clean bill of fiscal health from New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

The comptroller office’s Fiscal Stress Monitoring System for the school year ending June 30, 2020, gave Eastport-South Manor, Center Moriches and William Floyd each a score of 0 — the best rating possible. Center Moriches received a 10, but still is not close to being in financial stress, the report says.

Thirty-one school districts statewide were designated in fiscal stress, according to the report. Three are in Suffolk: Mattituck-Cutchogue, New Suffolk and Wyandanch.

Those three school districts each received a “susceptible to fiscal stress” designation. The other more serious designations are “moderate fiscal stress” and “significant fiscal stress.”

Click here to see a complete list of all the school districts.

In 2019, Eastport-South Manor (ESM) landed on the “susceptible to fiscal stress” list. Three years ago, a score of 46.7 had ESM in “moderate fiscal risk.” But ESM has now been deemed fiscally strong for two straight years.

In a statement, ESM said the designation of 0 fiscal stress in this year’s analysis exemplifies the district’s “continued commitment to the development of a responsible budget and mindful financial practices.”

“Over the past several years, our district has worked very hard to make mindful financial decisions with our entire school community in mind,” ESM Superintendent of Schools Joseph Steimel said. “We are extremely proud of the strides we have made in our budgeting process over the past few years and are committed to continuing our steadfast efforts toward this work.” 

The Fiscal Stress Monitoring System excludes New York City schools and the “Big Four” City School Districts of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers.

“This is a time of unprecedented uncertainty as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt school district operations and finances,” DiNapoli said. “I urge school district leaders to closely monitor their financial conditions, even if their fiscal stress scores were low in the early days of the crisis.”