Riverhead schools will pay about $19 million for charter school students next year

What happened

The district's business executive told the board its total cost for students at Riverhead Charter School is about $18.2 million this year and over $19 million budgeted for 2026-27. That includes tuition (about $16 million this year) plus special education, transportation, nurses and textbooks. Over the past 10 years the total passed $109 million.

Why it matters to families

This is about 9% of the $218.9 million budget, and it is paid even if voters reject the budget. The board has asked the state school boards association to push for changes to the funding formula. A public hearing on the charter school's renewal is set for October 28, 2026.

The evidence

On April 1 finance staff showed $16 million of tuition, $142,000 of special education costs, $100,000 of contract services and over $1.2 million of transportation in 2025-26, and said the 2026-27 budget includes over $19 million. On March 4 the board passed three resolutions asking the state school boards association to support changes to the charter funding formula, trustee residency, and budget transparency. These figures are the district's own estimates.

The source