With school districts scrambling to prepare budgets that come in under the state's 2 percent tax cap, state lawmakers have agreed to increase state aid to area schools.
According to , on Thursday, the state Assembly approved an $805 million increase in state aid as part of the final 2012 state budget; it is the first increase in three years.
The numbers are also up from the governor's original state aid proposal.
"I think for the cap to be successful, state aid had to be increased," said Theile. "Some responsible shift had to be made to the state because every dollar in state aid obtained by school districts is less that will have to be paid in property tax."
Thiele said the state aid numbers are based on a variety of factors, from transportation reimbursement, to changes in enrollment to a district's wealth ratio.
Aid increases are as follows:
- : 1.65 percent, $30,620
- : 13.47 percent, $105,184
- : 1.22 percent, $6,141
- : 3.32 percent, $41,351
- Montauk: 13.55 percent, $89,851
- Springs: 2.10 percent, $22,689
- Amagansett: 1.03 percent, $2,676
- East Hampton: 4.33 percent, $88,473
