Five Long Island school systems are among 16 statewide identified as facing varying degrees of fiscal strain, according to a report issued by the state comptroller. Two of those systems face "significant stress": New Suffolk and Amityville. Three — Roosevelt, Middle Country and Springs — were classified as "susceptible" to stress, the mildest of three categories. New Suffolk residents are scheduled to vote March 5 on whether to shut down instruction in their small local school and send students to neighboring districts. John Hildebrand reports on Newsday.com that designations were based on districts' financial condition during the 2022-23 school year, which ended June 30.

In Springs, "The reality is we get very little aid, and the burden falls on our taxpayers," said Springs schools Superintendent Debra Winter.

Springs, which operates on a $35 million annual budget, receives about $2 million in financial assistance from Albany, according to state records. Winter said the district, which operates classes from prekindergarten through eighth grade, is struggling to pay tuition bills totaling about $10 million to send older students to high school in a neighboring district.

The number of districts identified statewide as fiscally stressed was higher than 14 named the prior year, but well below the 33 designated in 2019, the comptroller's office reported.

"Although federal relief packages and state aid provided much needed assistance, school officials should remain diligent and closely monitor their financial condition in the current and future budget cycles as one-time federal funds are depleted and state aid is uncertain," DiNapoli stated.

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Students at Hampton Bays High School will soon be able to open their own bank account, make deposits and withdrawals, and otherwise polish their financial skills at a new banking center inside the school. Craig Schneider reports on Newsday.com that the creation of the banking center, called the Baymen Financial Literacy Center, aims to instill in students the money management skills they'll need heading into adulthood, said Superintendent Lars Clemensen. It opens Feb. 29.

"We want to make sure financial literacy is a common language for kids," Clemensen said. "We don't want our kids leaving here and signing up for their first credit card, not knowing what to do."

The initiative comes as many educators across the country push for schools to provide more real-life teaching about handling personal finances. The state Board of Regents is considering making instruction in financial planning a requirement for a New York high school diploma.

Hampton Bays' school banking center, also open to faculty and staff, was built out of an old school store using a $30,000 state grant and will be staffed by a bilingual teller employed by the Teachers Federal Credit Union for two days a week, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

School officials will communicate with parents regarding each child's account, and any checking account would have to be co-opened with a parent. The Hampton Bays district already offers a high school elective class in personal finance and is enhancing its financial literacy and money management instruction across the grades, Clemensen said.

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The Sag Harbor Village Board will hold an affordable housing workshop on Saturday, January 27th…that’s tomorrow at 1 p.m. in the Brick Kiln Road firehouse. Stephen J. Kotz reports on 27east.com that Mayor Tom Gardella said the goal of the event, which will be moderated by Joseph P. Shaw, the executive editor of The Express News Group, is to hear from the public to help the Village of Sag Harbor shape future policies. “I want to hear from the public,” Gardella said. “I want to hear from people who are in a situation where they need affordable housing, those who are trying to create affordable housing, and those who are trying to maintain their workforce.” The full Village Board is expected to convene for the session.

The full Village Board is expected to convene for the session. Mayor Gardella said among the topics to be discussed will be his proposal to develop workforce housing as part of a major redevelopment of the Brick Kiln firehouse site, which is also home to the ambulance headquarters and Department of Public Works. The mayor said he hoped that individuals who may have ideas for other affordable housing proposals in the village would also be willing to share them with the public. That’s tomorrow at 1pm in the Sag Harbor Brick Kiln Road firehouse.

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In a 7-0 vote Tuesday afternoon, the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency approved the $2.7 million tax relief package for the $43.9 million luxury hotel proposal known as The Enclaves. Nicholas Grasso reports in THE SUFFOLK TIMES that the IDA, which provides financial incentives to promote economic development within Suffolk County, granted the developer, Enclaves LLC, $1.8 million in reductions on sales tax for building materials and equipment, $246,000 in reduced mortgage tax payments and $700,000 in savings courtesy of a 15-year PILOT program.

The IDA’s assistance and its proceedings have long stirred controversy throughout Southold. Prior to a public meeting the IDA hosted at Southold Town Hall last month, former Town Supervisor Scott Russell and current Supervisor Al Krupski decried the IDA for not seeking input from Southold residents earlier in their process. The Town Hall meeting was transcribed and presented to the IDA’s seven-member voting board along with nearly 100 written comments submitted by Jan. 16 regarding the project. Among the 67 comments opposing the tax relief package for the project is a letter signed by all six members of the Southold Town Board.

The IDA also received 29 comments from various parties, including several local business owners, supporting the incentives for the developers.

The IDA’s actions will engender 72,979 square feet of new construction, including a two-story, 40-room hotel, four detached cottages and a pair of restaurants on 6.75 acres at the former Hedges bed and breakfast on Main Road in Southold. Developers Jonathan Tibett, Edward Glackin and Andrew Giambertone said the tax breaks were “vital” to the project. They anticipate opening The Enclaves by summer 2025.

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Two weeks after receiving its final site plan approval from the Southold Town Planning Board, the controversial proposal for a 40-room luxury resort hotel “The Enclaves” received unanimous approval for $2.75 million in tax breaks from the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency yesterday. Beth Young in EAST END BEACON reports that the project, on 6.75 acres on the Main Road in Southold, is slated to include renovation of an existing house for use as a restaurant that will be open to the public, a 40-room hotel, four guest cottages, another restaurant for hotel guests only, a spa, meeting rooms, lounges and 100-person-capacity event space in nearly 73,000 square feet of new buildings. The total cost is expected to be $44 million.

The agency’s move comes despite significant public comment opposing the tax breaks from Southold residents, and a scathing three-page letter from the Southold Town Board describing the abatements, which would reduce the applicants’ projected property and sales tax burden for the next 15 years, as an “unjust enrichment and burden on the town.”

The Southold Town Board and many residents who spoke at a public hearing last month raised concerns about the percentage of low wage jobs to be created by the development, the seasonal nature of the business, and the impact of the project on the town’s infrastructure.

Numerous East End businesses and tourism agencies, including the East End Tourism Alliance, Discover LI and the Long Island Aquarium, as well as the Hyatt Place hotel in Riverhead submitted letters in support of the project.

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Long Island’s lack of affordable housing is hindering employers' ability to attract and retain workers, according to a poll released yesterday. James T. Madore reports on Newsday.com that nearly 8 in 10 CEOs said the dearth of affordable single-family houses and apartments is the biggest “detriment to doing business” here in a survey conducted last fall by PKF O’Connor Davies accountants and the Siena College Research Institute. A panel of experts who discussed the poll results on Thursday agreed. “Housing is key to attracting and retaining our labor force,” said NYS Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, adding that his office is examining shelter costs statewide. Kevin Law, a partner in the real estate development firm Tritec in East Setauket, said 82% of the housing stock in Nassau and Suffolk counties is single-family homes, a far higher amount than in the rest of downstate, and in New Jersey and Connecticut. “We have a significant supply imbalance here,” he told the audience. “We need to increase the supply of rental housing because that’s usually the place where younger employees will start out.” Besides having a roof over their head, many of those who are new to the workforce also want to start a family or already have young children, which means they need child care. Stacey Sikes, a vice president at the Long Island Association business group and mother of two daughters, said, “people cannot go to work unless there is affordable and available child care... Child care is a business issue."