Huntington School Board members and district executives have repeatedly expressed concern about any development that adds students to the district without the accompanying tax revenue to fund their education, thus placing an increased burden on existing resident taxpayers and businesses.

District officials have opposed requests submitted to the Suffolk IDA to grant tax abatements, some of which run for as long as 15 years. The abatements effectively prevent the district from collecting taxes consistent with a property’s actual assessment and contribute to a lack of growth in the tax base.

Huntington Superintendent Jim Polansky has addressed the director of the Suffolk IDA on numerous occasions during its public meetings. He has also addressed the Huntington Town Board as has Huntington School Board President Emily Rogan about redevelopment efforts and the potential such initiatives will lead to additional students without accompanying additional revenues.

The Huntington School Board has discussed Huntington Station redevelopment and Suffolk IDA-tax abatement issues during many public meetings over the past several years. Officials have pledged to continue fighting on behalf of students and residents as various projects move forward.