Sept. 12, 2022

Dear North Shore Families and Residents,

I hope you are doing well. As you know, our community is facing a serious financial impact from the Nassau County/LIPA Settlement that was finalized this year.

As information is shared from many sources, I feel that it is important to hear directly from the District on what has occurred thus far.

Please see an outline of key facts about the Nassau County/LIPA Settlement and its impact on our community.

Sincerely,
Dr. Zublionis - Superintendent of Schools

• The District has lost its biggest taxpayer: The GWL LIPA Plant

• The GWL LIPA plant shut down in 2011. Since 2010, LIPA grieved its taxes with Nassau County.
• After 10+ years of litigation between LIPA and Nassau County, the District was notified of a final settlement in June 2022. The North Shore CSD was not a part of this settlement. The County will now receive Direct Assessments from LIPA instead of tax payments that will decrease over time.

• As is the case in similar situations, taxes paid by LIPA could and likely will shift to the other remaining properties (homes, condos, utilities, and businesses). Like any tax grievance, the increase will likely lead to a shift from one taxpayer to another, not due to the North Shore Schools. This is a function of the County Assessment System and not the North Shore Schools.

• Even though the agreement was not finalized by the courts until after the budget vote, the District shared the potential impact of the LIPA/Nassau County Settlement to the community on April 7th, 2022 so the community was aware. However, since Nassau County is the assessing authority, we do not yet know with certainty how the LIPA/Nassau County Settlement will impact specific taxpayers.

• Upon final confirmation of the LIPA/Nassau County settlement, the District lowered the tax levy to ease the burden on our community. If the tax levy was not lowered, residents may have possibly faced up to $9 million dollars in tax shift. The District was proactive in avoiding this situation.

• The District was also able to obtain $3.25 Million in additional settlement funds. The District used $500,000 to lower the impact of a potential tax shift this year, and will continue to use this funding over time to mitigate potential tax shifts in any given year.

• The District will plan strategically to reduce expenses and find new revenue sources to balance the interests of students and the community over the many years that this settlement will impact North Shore.