On June 19th, members of Valley Stream District 30’s administration and Board of Education met with the Nassau County Legislature regarding the revocation of the Green Acres Mall Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) and the Mall’s taxable status for the 2017-18 school year. Superintendents and representatives from the other Valley Stream component districts, as well as a number of community residents, also attended the meeting.

District 30 officials advocated that, in light of the Industrial Development Agency’s decision to revoke the Green Acres Mall PILOT, that the Mall properties be restored to their full taxable status for the 2017-18 school year. Despite repeated attempts for information concerning the Mall’s taxable status, District 30 has yet to receive any update on the matter. “This lack of information is extremely concerning,” said Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Nicholas Stirling.” “Our district must set its tax levy for the 2017-18 school year by August 15, 2017; without knowing the taxable status of the mall, the district will be forced to calculate the tax levy without accounting for the mall’s share. This could potentially shift $14 million to the residents of our community, a burden I know they cannot bear.”

The potential shift in the tax burden is the direct result of the Mall property being removed from the tax rolls and no longer paying PILOTs. “It would be a double whammy for us and would either be devastating to our community taxpayers or to the programs we offer our students,” said Dr. Stirling.

At the meeting on June 19th, several legislators voiced their opinion that the decision on whether the Mall should be restored to its full taxable status can only be decided at the state level, while others agreed that it could be resolved locally through a “correction of errors” process. “District 30 fully advocates that this issue needs to be resolved at the local level so that we can have a thoughtful, yet speedy, decision on this matter before our August 15th deadline,” said Dr. Stirling.

District 30 remains committed to moving forward and working collaboratively with its component districts. “I know that we all share the same goal – that is to provide the best education possible for the students of our districts, without placing undue burden on our community taxpayers,” said Dr. Stirling. “By working together, rather than divisively, we can accomplish more.”