Nassau County residents will go to the polls on Tuesday, May 18 to vote on proposed school budgets for the 2004-2005 school year. Various mandates and increases in salaries and benefits have caused budget to increase near double digits.

Here is a look at the local school district budgets:

The Elmont Union Free School District is proposing a budget of $54,974,766, an 8.81 percent increase over the 2003-2004 budget of $50,523,292.

The district identified its major cost increases as a $894,396 increase in state pension fund costs, a $714,932 increase in state health insurance costs, $1,086,700 for debt service on the bond and $186,000 increase in Social Security costs.

If the budget is approved by voters, $39,807,971 is the amount to be raised by taxes , an 8.49 percent increase over the tax levy of $36,693,197 the 2003-2004 budget called for.

Residents of the Franklin Square School District will be voting on a proposed budget of $25,709,403, an increase of 6.4 percent in spending over last year's 2003-2004 budget. According to the district, the average home assessed at $2,996 will be seeing a $124.97 increase if the budget passes.

Residents of the West Hempstead Union Free School District will be voting on a budget of $42,856,186 for the 2004-2005 school year, an increase of 7.2 percent over the 2003-2004 budget.

The budget calls for $31,840,502 to be raised by tax dollars, an increase of 10.28 percent over last year's $28,872,159.

Residents of the Sewanhaka Central High School District, which is comprised of Elmont Memorial High School, Sewanhaka High School, Floral Park Memorial High School, H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square and New Hyde Park Memorial High School will be voting on a $119,145,556 budget, an increase of 8.83 percent over the 2003-2004 budget. Of the $119,145,556, $97,695,556 is expected to be raised by tax dollars, an increase of 9.61 percent from the 2003-2004 tax levy.