2025-2026 Budget

Mount Vernon City School District Budget Calendar 2025-2026

DATE                   ACTIVITIES

• October 15, 2024: Present 2025-2026 budget calendar and budget development procedures to the Board of Education for adoption
• November 2024: Meet with budget builders and distribute budget guidelines
• December 2024: Meet with finance committee (preliminary budget presentation by budget builders)
• January 2025: Meet with finance committee and or Board of Education (on parameters)
• January 2025: Meet with budget builders various throughout the month
• February 2025: Brief Board on Administration Components of Budget
• February 2025: Brief Board on Capital Components of Budget
• February 2025: Brief Board on Instructional Components of Budget
• February 13, 2025: Appointment of Election Inspectors for Budget Vote
• March 1, 2025: Submit 2025-26 calculation for Tax Levy Limit to NYS Comptroller, Tax and Finance and SED 
• March 2025: BOCES Service Request Prepared
• March 2025: Present 2025-26 operational and general support budget to the Board of Education for review and comment (Operations & Maintenance, Transportation and General Support)
• March 2025: Present 2025-26 debt service and employee benefits budget to the Board of Education for review and comment
• March 2025: Present 2025-26 instructional and special education budget to the Board of Education for review and comment
• Friday, April 4, 2025: Post first of four required legal notices of budget hearing and vote                    
• April 2025: Finalize 2025-26 educational plan and budget (including BOCES budget) ; the last date to submit the Property Tax Report Card is April 28, 2025
• Tuesday, April 22, 2025: Adopt Proposed 2025-26 Budget by Board of Education (4/28/25 - Last Date)
• Tuesday, April 22, 2025: SW BOCES Administrative Budget and Trustee(s) Vote
• Thursday, April 24, 2025: Post second of four required legal notices of budget hearing and vote                    
• Wednesday, April 23, 2025: Transmit to SED and local newspapers of Property Tax Report Card   (4/28/2025 - Last Date)
• Friday, April 25, 2025 (Last Date): Board Adopts Budget for 2025-2026 and Property Tax Report Card (Last Date to Submit to NYS 4/28/2025)
• Monday, April 28, 2025 (Last Date): Submit to NYS Property Tax Report Card
• Wednesday, April 30, 2025: Petitions for Board of Education candidates due by 5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, May 1, 2025: Selection of Candidates' Placement on the Ballot at 4:00 p.m. - Education Center                                                                                                        
• May 6-13, 2025: Budget Statement and Attachments available upon request
• Tuesday, May 6, 2025: Voter Registration Day (last date)                                                                                                                                    
• Tuesday, May 6, 2025: District-Wide Budget Hearing at 6:00 p.m. - Education Center; Board Meeting at 7:00 p.m. 
• Friday, May 9, 2025: Post third of four required legal notices of budget hearing and vote.      
• Wednesday, May 14, 2025: Required Budget Notice and Budget Newsletter mailed (Last Date May 14, 2025)  
• Tuesday, May 13, 2025: Absentee & Early Mail ballot applications must be received if  ballots are to be mailed
• Tuesday, May 13, 2025: Post fourth of four required legal notices of budget hearing and vote                              
• Tuesday, May 20, 2025: Annual Meeting (VOTE for Budget and Proposition(s) and elect Board)
• Tuesday, May 20, 2025: Board of Education meets to accept results of Annual Election
• Tuesday, June 17, 2025: Statewide Budget Revote day
• Tuesday, July 1, 2025: Start of 2025-26 Budget Year

Legal Notice Publication Dates are:  April 4, April 24, May 9, and May 13, 2025

NOTICE OF THE DISTRICT-WIDE BUDGET HEARING AND ANNUAL SCHOOL BOARD/BUDGET VOTE ELECTION OF THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK AND THE MOUNT VERNON PUBLIC LIBRARY

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Time and Place of Voting:  District-Wide Budget Hearing:  Voter Registration; Absentee Ballots; Early Vote Ballots; Military Ballots; Final Date for Receiving Petitions of Nominations and Filing of School Election Registers.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN the Annual School Board/Budget Vote Election will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; for the purpose of electing three (3) members of the Board of Education of the City School District of the City of Mount Vernon, New York, to serve for a full term of three (3) years, beginning the first day of July, 2025, and expiring on the thirtieth day of June, 2028; and for the purpose of electing two (2) members of the Board of Trustees of the Mount Vernon Public Library to serve one (1) five (5) year term beginning on the first day of July, 2025 and expiring on the thirtieth day of June, 2030, and one (1) three (3) year term beginning on the first day of July, 2025, and expiring of the thirtieth day of June, 2028;

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN the public hearing on the school budget shall be held on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at the Education Center located at 165 North Columbus Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN residents may review a copy of the budget which will be placed on the District’s website, during the fourteen (14) days immediately preceding the date of the election.

A Real Property Tax Exemption Report prepared in accordance with Section 495 of the Real Property Tax Law will be annexed to any proposed budget as well as the final adopted budget of which it will form a part; and shall be posted on the District bulletin board maintained for public notices, as well as on the District’s website.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the final date for receiving petitions of nominations for candidates for the Members of the Board of Education of the City of Mount Vernon, New York, three (3) members to serve for a full term of three (3) years, beginning on July 1, 2025, and expiring June 30, 2028; and for the purpose of electing two (2) members of the Board of Trustees of the Mount Vernon Public Library to serve one (1) five (5) year term beginning on July 1, 2025, and expiring on June 30, 2030, and one (1) three (3) year term beginning on July 1, 2025 and expiring on June 30, 2028, is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, or sooner, in the Office of the District Clerk, at the Education Center, 165 North Columbus Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York.

Nominating petitions are now available in the Office of the District Clerk.

Drawing for Placement on the Ballot will be held on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 4:00 p.m., in the Office of the District Clerk.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that applications for absentee and early mail ballots may be applied for at the Office of the District Clerk, located in the Administrative Offices of the Mount Vernon City School District, 165 North Columbus Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York 10553. An application for an absentee and early mail ballot on the form prescribed by the New York State Board of Elections must be received by the District Clerk no earlier than thirty (30) days before the Annual Election. Such application must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) days before the Annual Election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the Annual Budget Vote/Election if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter or his/her designated agent. Upon receiving a timely application for a mailed absentee and early mail ballot, the District Clerk will mail the ballot to the address designated on the application by no later than six (6) days before the Annual Election.

No absentee and early mail voter’s ballot will be counted unless it is received in the Office of the District Clerk of the City School District of the City of Mount Vernon, 165 North Columbus Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the election.

Qualifications for Absentee Ballot Applications:

A qualified voter may vote as an absentee voter under this section, if during all the hours of voting on the day of an election he or she will be:

1. Absent from the county of his or her residence; or
2. Unable to appear at the polling place because of illness or physical disability, or duties related to the primary care of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled; or
3. An inmate for any reason other than conviction of a felony (Education Law §§2018-a; 2018-b) or patient of a veteran’s administration hospital; or
4. Absent from his or her voting residence because he or she is detained in jail.
5. Voters with permanent disabilities, registration records should be marked so that they automatically receive absentee ballots for each election (Education Law §§2018-a(2)(g), 2018-b(2)(g). 

Qualifications for Early Mail Ballot Applications:

1. A qualified voter must be a citizen of the U.S.;

2. 18 years of age;

3. A resident of the district for at least 30 days prior to the meeting; and not otherwise prohibited under Election Law §5-106 (Education Law § 2012)

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN the Board of Registration of the City School District of the City of Mount Vernon shall meet to prepare the School Election District Registers for the Annual School Election on May 6, 2025, between the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Board Room at the Education Center, 165 North Columbus Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York.  Any person, who is not already registered, upon proving his/her entitlement to vote in the District, may have his/her name placed on the Register. The Register containing the names of the qualified voters will be available for inspection in the District Clerk’s Office during each of the five days prior to the election between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

IN ORDER TO VOTE IN THE ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION,

READ CAREFULLY THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS:

IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO REGISTER FOR THIS COMING SCHOOL ELECTION

1.  If you were registered but have changed your place of residence since that time.

2. If you were not registered under PERMANENT PERSONAL REGISTRATION.

3. If you now have acquired or by May 7^th will have acquired the required qualifications to vote in the forthcoming School Election under the qualifications of voters listed below:

The qualifications for voting are:

a. A citizen of the United States.

b. 18 years of age or over.

c. A resident of New York State and the City School District of the City of Mount Vernon for at least 30 days preceding the Election.

DATE OF REGISTRATION

TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2025, BETWEEN THE HOURS 11:00 A.M. AND 5:00 P.M., IN THE BOARD ROOM OF THE EDUCATION CENTER, 165 NORTH COLUMBUS AVENUE, MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual School Board/Budget Vote Election will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for three (3) members to serve for a full term of three (3) years, beginning on July 1, 2025, and expiring on June 30, 2028; and for the purpose of electing two (2) members of the Board of Trustees of the Mount Vernon Public Library to serve one (1) five (5) year term beginning on July 1, 2025, and expiring on June 30, 2030, and one (1) three (3) year term beginning on July 1, 2025, and expiring on June 30, 2028.

NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that an accurate description of the boundaries of the School Election District into which the City School District of the City of Mount Vernon is divided, is on file and may be inspected at the Office of the District Clerk, 165 North Columbus Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York.  The public schools where such Election will be held are as follows:

DISTRICT NO. and NAME AND LOCATION OF POLLING PLACES       

Election District 1: Lincoln School, 170 East Lincoln Avenue

Election District 4: Cecil H. Parker School, 461 South Sixth Avenue

Election District 5: Hamilton School, 20 Oak Street                    

Election District 6: Traphagen School, 72 Lexington Avenue

Election District 7: Edward Williams School, 9 Union Lane

Election District 9: Graham School, 21 East 5^th Street

Election District 11: Pennington School, 20 Fairway

Election District 14: Rebecca Turner Academy, 625 South Fourth Avenue          

Election District 17: Holmes School (MVHA), 195 North Columbus Avenue

Election District 22: Grimes School, 58 South 10^th Avenue

Budget / Election Information will be available on the website at:  www.mtvernoncsd.org/election in multiple languages.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that military voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the school district.  Military voters who are qualified voters of the school district may submit an application for a military ballot. Military voters may designate a preference to receive a military voter registration, military ballot application or military ballot by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail in their request for such registration, ballot application or ballot. Military voter registration forms and military ballot application forms must be received in the Office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 5, 2025. No military ballot will be canvassed unless it is (1) received in the Office of the District Clerk before the close of the polls on election day and showing a cancellation mark of the United States postal service or a foreign country’s postal service, or showing a dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the United States government; or (2) received by the Office of the District Clerk by no later than 5:00 p.m. on election day and signed and dated by the military voter and one witness thereto, with a date which is associated to be no later than the day before the election.

By Order of the Board of Education

Of the City School District of the City of Mount Vernon, New York

Rita James, District Clerk

You may register any weekday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the District Clerk's Office, located at the Education Center, 165 North Columbus Avenue, Mount Vernon NY.

Absentee and Early Mail Ballots 

Absentee and early mail ballot applications are available at the District Clerk's Office at the District Office during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.). or click to download an absentee ballot application here, an early mail ballot application here, an absentee ballot application in Spanish here or an early mail ballot application in Spanish here. Absentee and early mail ballot applications should be submitted in their original form, with the original signature on it.

An application for an absentee and early mail ballot on the form prescribed by the New York State Board of Elections must be received by the District Clerk by Tuesday, May 14, if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or by Monday, May 19, if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter or his/her designated agent. Upon receiving a timely application for a mailed absentee and early mail ballot, the District Clerk will mail the ballot to the address designated on the application by no later than Wednesday, May 14. Absentee and early mail voter’s ballots must be received in the Office of the District Clerk by 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

Qualifications of Voters

A person shall be entitled to vote at any school meeting for the election of school district officers and upon all other matters, which may be brought before such meeting, who is: 

1. A citizen of the United States. 
2. Eighteen years of age. 
3. A resident within the District for a period of 30 days next preceding the meeting at which he offers to vote. 
4. A registered voter of the District and/or a registered voter of Westchester County whose name appears on the list supplied by the Westchester County Board of Elections as having voted in a national, state, or county election during the past four years.

Election District 1: Lincoln School, 170 East Lincoln Avenue

Election District 4: Cecil H. Parker School, 461 South Sixth Avenue

Election District 5: Hamilton School, 20 Oak Street                    

Election District 6: Traphagen School, 72 Lexington Avenue

Election District 7: Edward Williams School, 9 Union Lane

Election District 9: Graham School, 21 East 5^th Street

Election District 11: Pennington School, 20 Fairway

Election District 14: Rebecca Turner Academy, 625 South Fourth Avenue          

Election District 17: Holmes School (MVHA), 195 North Columbus Avenue

Election District 22: Grimes School, 58 South 10^th Avenue

Becoming a Trustee

Commitment to Public Education

A school board member takes on one of the most important citizen responsibilities: overseeing the education of the community’s youth. In these challenging times for public education, school boards are seeking men and women who find excitement and satisfaction in confronting tough challenges and working collegially to rise above them and help students in their communities succeed.

The board of education is a uniquely American institution. It oversees and manages the community’s public school system. It ensures the public schools are flexible and responsive to the needs of the community.  School boards are comprised of volunteers within the community who dedicate their time to better public education. Except for those in Yonkers and New York City, board members are elected.

The size of a school board depends on the type of school district but generally ranges between three and nine members. With limited exceptions, school board members serve three- four- or five-year terms. Terms are staggered so all board positions are never open at the same time. Voters have the power to change the size of the board as set forth within the law.

Responsibilities of a Board Member

With school children always their ultimate focus, school board members act officially at the board table, working with other board members to serve students and accomplish the following:

• Create a shared vision for the future of education
• Set the direction of the school district to achieve the highest student performance
• Provide rigorous accountability for student  achievement results
• Develop a budget and present it to the community, aligning district resources to improve achievement
• Support a healthy school district culture for work and learning
• Create strategic partnerships with the community stakeholders
• Build the district’s progress through continuous improvement
• Adopt and maintain current policies
• Hire and evaluate the superintendent
• Ratify collective bargaining agreements
• Maintain strong ethical standards

Characteristics of a Board Member

Below are attributes that all effective board members should possess.

• Effective Communicator: Can describe what he or she wants and describe what others want; a good listener
• Consensus Builder: Capable of working toward decisions that all can support and willing to compromise to achieve goals
• Community Participant: Enjoys meeting a variety of people, can identify the community’s key communicators and reaches out to the community
• Decision Maker: Is comfortable making decisions and can support group decision-making
• Information Processor: Can organize priorities and schedules to handle large amounts of verbal and written information
• Leader: Willing to take risks, be supportive of board colleagues, district staff and community
• Team Player: Helps promote the board’s vision and goals

Running for Your Local School Board

Once you have made the commitment to run for your local school board, there are requirements, deadlines, and processes that must be adhered to.

Eligibility Requirements

Generally, school board candidates must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, qualified voters in the school district and able to read and write. They must be residents of their districts continuously for one year (as little as 30 days or as long as three years in some city school districts) before the election. At the time when the board member takes office, they cannot be employed by the board on which they serve or live in the same household with a family member who is also a member of the same school board.

Nominating Petitions

The requirements for filing nominating petitions for a school board vary depending upon the type of school district. Generally, candidates must submit a nominating petition to the school district clerk. The petition must be signed by at least 25 qualified district voters or two percent of the number of those who voted in the previous annual election, whichever number is greater. In small city school districts, nominating petitions must be signed by at least 100 qualified voters.

The petition must include the following:

• Candidate’s name and residence
• Vacancy in question
• Incumbent’s name (if any)
• Residences of the persons who signed the petition
• Length of the term of office for which the candidate is being nominated

Blank petitions are often available from the district clerk. If a school district runs for seats “at large” such that each nominee is eligible for each vacancy, the nominating petition does not need to identify the specific incumbent’s seat the nominee is seeking. This petition must be filed with the district clerk at least 30 days (20 days in small city districts) before the election meeting, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Campaigning

Once the petition is filed, the next step is to gather support. State law requires all candidates for election to a board of education to file a sworn statement with the district clerk disclosing their campaign expenses. Statements must be filed at three different times during the election period. If expenditures made by the candidate or by others on the candidate’s behalf exceed $500, a statement also should be filed with the commissioner of education. Expenditures of not more than $25 may be made without the candidate’s permission if the donor or donors file a sworn statement with the clerk and the commissioner stating that the candidate did not approve the expenditure. Details concerning these requirements may be obtained from your district clerk or from the Performance Improvement and Management Services (PIMS) and Chief Financial Office (CFO), New York State Education Department, Albany, NY 12234.

Election

By state law, school board and budget elections, in all districts except the Big 5 (Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers), must be held on the third Tuesday in May. In 2025, the budget vote and election occurs on May 20.

New York State School Boards Association

If you are elected, you don’t need to face this new challenge alone. The New York State School Boards Association is here to help you! The New York State School Boards Association

(NYSSBA) was founded in 1896 in Utica, New York. With over 100 years of commitment, NYSSBA serves as the statewide voice of more than 650 boards of education.

The Association provides current information and advice on matters affecting school boards and works with other educational and related organizations in promoting excellence in public education. Consistent with our dedication to children, learning and the community, the Association provides advocacy, information, leadership development and custom services to public school boards.

Training

Once elected, you will be required by New York State law to fulfill mandatory training within your first year of service. This includes fiscal oversight training and governance skills training. NYSSBA provides convenient online courses and regional academies to fulfill these requirements and to further your knowledge of public education and your responsibilities as a board member.

1. How was the budget developed? 
   
   The 2025-2026 budget was developed using a collaborative approach. Due to the fiscal stress the District is under, the first step was developing a plan to significantly reduce expenses in the coming school year while maintaining educational programs. During the school year work was done with the Budget Committee, Board of Education, Central Office, and Building Level Administrators to put together a balanced budget that moves the District closer to fiscal stability. 
    
   To read more about the budget go to the District homepage at www.mtvernoncsd.org and click on the link at the top of the page titled "Budget" 
    

2. How much would be spent next school year in this plan? 
   
   The proposed school budget for next year is $272.2 million dollars which is an increase of 0.34% compared to the previous year’s budget. However, compared to the actual spending of the 2024-2025 school year, which will reach approximately $278 million to $280 million, this is a significant decrease. 
    

3. What is a school district budget made up of? What are the different sources of revenue, and what are the areas that the district spends on? 
   The budget is made up of revenue which consists mainly of school taxes (52% of total revenue) and state aid (42% of total revenue) and estimated expenses which is the appropriation. On the appropriation side, the budget is broken down into three parts: 

• Programs: This category includes all expenses of items directly attributed to the education of students. 

• Capital: This category includes maintenance and operations of school buildings and grounds, utilities, and debt service. 

• Administration: This category includes salaries and benefits for all administrative personnel, including some central office staff, as well as legal services and other central services. 
   
  In terms of spending, approximately 62% of the budget is on salaries and benefits; 15% is on contractual services, which are primarily composed of student transportation, special education services, as well as maintenance and improvements to buildings and grounds. 

3. How were the revenue and expenditures of the budget balanced? 
   
   The District entered the 24-25 school year in a very challenging fiscal situation. Since 2019, the District has been using its fund balance to balance the budget. In five of the last six school years, the District has had an operating deficit. To address these challenges and the steady decline in enrollment, the District formulated a reorganization of the school buildings that will take effect starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The reorganization is expected to save about $16.9 million annually, while preserving program integrity. The significant reduction in expenditures, along with the 3.3% proposed tax levy increase, were the main drivers of producing a balanced budget. 
    

4. What were some priority areas for spending in this budget? 
   
   Given the fiscal situation, the main priority was to maintain programs in the District as much as possible while still making a significant reduction in overall spending. 
    

5. How much money is being saved by closing three schools? How does this help the district maintain its programs and limit other reductions?
    
   Approximately $16.9 million dollars is being saved by the reorganization which includes the closure of three school buildings. Without this reorganization the District would have had to make significant reductions in programs and propose a tax increase that would be well above the 5% state tax cap in order to produce a balanced budget. 
    
   Statewide declining enrollment, expensive building repairs, and the District’s designation of significant fiscal distress contributed to the District’s decision to close schools. With the reorganization, the District is being staffed in accordance with its enrollment, and students will receive the same services as in the previous model.  
    

6. What is the tax levy? 
   
   A school tax levy is the amount of money a school district asks the local community to pay through property taxes to help fund the school. The total proposed levy for next school year is $140.4 million. The proposed 3.3% increase to the school tax levy would bring in an additional $4.4 million in revenue to the District. 

8. How much more would a taxpayer be expected to pay if the budget passes with a 3.3% increase to the tax levy? 
   
   For a home with a full market value of $555,000, the taxpayer would pay about $289.74 in additional taxes per year, or $24.15 per month and $0.79 per day.  

• Full Market Value (value on tax bill): $555,555 

• Assessed Value: $9,500 

• Annual Increase: $289.74, which breaks down to $24.15/Month or $0.79 per day 

9. How much additional revenue would be gained from the increase in the tax levy? What would the district be able to spend that money on? 
   
   The proposed  3.3% increase to the school tax levy would bring in an additional $4.4 million in revenue to the District. 
    

10. What would the District lose if the tax levy was not increased? Would there be additional reductions? 
    
    The District would lose out on approximately $4.4 million in next year's budget, and this would lead to further reductions to cover that loss in revenue. 
     
    These reductions include but are not limited to a significant reduction in Universal Prekindergarten, athletics, after school programs, and performing and visual arts. 
     

11. Where is the District seeing increases in expenses next year? 

• Health Insurance (8.94%) Roughly $3 million. 

• Transportation (42.21%) Roughly $5.2 million when compared to this year's budget. 

12. What are areas that the District is decreasing spending in? How is the District trying to save money and increase fiscal responsibility? 

• Personnel Services and Benefits: Nearly $11 million reduction when compared to this budget year 

• BOCES Services Approximately $1.6 million reduction 

• Debt Service: Approximately $740,000 reduction 

13. What are some areas where the District will have an increase in revenue? How much revenue will be made up of state aid? 
    
    The main revenue source for the District is school taxes, which make up 51.6% of the proposed budget and would account for a proposed increase in revenue of $4.4 million and state aid which accounts for approximately 44.4% or $120.9 million. Foundation Aid from New York State is expected to increase 2% or $1.6 million. 
     

14. How has the issue of unpaid taxes affected the District, and how is this concern being addressed? 

• Unpaid prior school year taxes create both budgetary and cash flow issues for the District. This year the District had to issue a TAN (Tax Anticipation Note) to cover cash flow shortages towards the end of the 2024 calendar year. In cases like this, the District must deal with the financing costs and face opportunity costs from the uncollected taxes such as losing out on interest revenue. 

• The District has been working closely with the City of Mount Vernon Comptroller to address the challenges with uncollected taxes. By September of 2025 the City will have made the District whole on uncollected taxes from prior to the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The District is also working on a new agreement with the City for uncollected taxes from the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 fiscal year that are due this May. 

15. What happens if the budget does not pass? Will there be an opportunity for a revote? 
    
    If the District budget does not pass on May 20, then the District – at the Board's discretion – has the option to put forth a revised budget or adopt a contingency budget. If a revised budget is put forth, the revote day would be Tuesday, June 17, 2025. If the budget is voted down a second time, then the Board would have to adopt a contingency budget.
     

16. What happens if the District has to adopt a contingency budget? 
    
    The District would lose out on approximately $4.4 million in next year's budget and this would lead to further reductions to cover that loss in revenue. These reductions include but are not limited to a significant reduction in Universal Prekindergarten, athletics, after school programs, and performing and visual arts. 
     
    In a contingency budget, the District would have to eliminate budgeted items in its equipment codes and further reduce administrative costs, which would most likely include personnel. 
     

17. Why is tuition reported in a public school budget? 
    
    This is the tuition the District pays to charter schools and out-of-district placements.  The District must send tuition funds for each District student who attends a charter school or is placed out of the District. Out-of-district placements are specialized educational settings, such as private schools or residential schools, that are separate from a student's local public school district.

Fiscal Conditions Analysis

Building Condition Survey

Long-Range Planning Study/Demographic and Enrollment Analysis