2026-2027 Budget

Mount Vernon City School District Budget Calendar 2026-2027

DATE                   ACTIVITIES

November 2025

• November 4, 2025: Present 2026 budget calendar and budget development procedures; Superintendent's Budget Priorities to the Board of Education for adoption
• November 25, 2025: Board of Education Business Meeting
• November 26, 2025: Meet with budget and finance committee and or Board of Education (on parameters)

December 2025

• December 2, 2025: Board of Education Work Session
• December 8 - 12, 2025: Meet with budget builders and distribute budget guidelines; Community Budget Stakeholders
• December 15 - 19, 2025: Budget due from Staff to the Business Office (December 16)

January 2026

• January 13, 2026: Superintendent Preliminary Budget Process Presentation
• January 17, 2027: Community Budget Public Forum (MVPL) Saturday Morning
• January 20, 2026: Community Budget Public Forum -- Evening; Governor's budget state aid run
• January 20 - 23, 2026: Department Budget Presentation to Executive Team & State Monitor
• January 27, 2026: Operational budget recommendations due
• January 28, 2026: Budget and Finance Committee

February 2026

• February 2, 2026: Community Budget Public Forum
• February 10, 2026: Balanced budget completed by Cabinet
• February 24, 2026: Superintendent Budget Presentation to the Board; Appointment of Election Inspectors for Budget Vote 
• February 25, 2026: Budget Due to State Monitor

March 2026

• March 2, 2026: Balanced Budget to the State Monitor for SED Submission; Draft Budget Book; Submit 2026-27 calculation for Tax Levy Limit to NYS Comptroller, Tax and Finance and SED 
• March 10, 2026: State Monitor's Budget Presentation
• March 24, 2026: Board adopts Budget for 2026-2027 (Last date NYSED to adopt Budget April 24th)
• March 31, 2026: Final Budget book available to public and delivered

April 2026

• Friday, April 3, 2026: Post first of four required legal notices of budget hearing and vote 
• Tuesday, April 7, 2026: Adopt Proposed 2026-27 Budget by Board of Education (4/27/26 - Last Date)
• Tuesday, April 21, 2026: SW BOCES Administrative Budget and Trustee(s) Vote
• Thursday, April 23, 2026: Post second of four required legal notices of budget hearing and vote 
• Friday, April 24, 2026: Property Tax Report Card (Last Date to Submit to NYS 4/27/2026)
• Monday, April 27, 2026: Transmit to SED NYS Property Tax Report Card and local newspapers of Property Tax Report Card 
• Tuesday, April 28, 2026: Board of Education Business Meeting
• Wednesday, April 29, 2026: Petitions for Board of Education candidates due by 5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, April 30, 2026: Selection of Candidates' Placement on the Ballot at 4:00 p.m. - Education Center

May 2026

• Tuesday, May 5, 2026: Voter Registration Day (last date) 
• Tuesday, May 5, 2026: District-Wide Budget Hearing at 6:00 p.m. - Education Center; Board Meeting at 7:00 p.m. 
• Friday, May 8, 2026: Post third of four required legal notices of budget hearing and vote 
• May 5-19, 2026: Budget Statement and Attachments available upon request 
• Tuesday, May 12, 2026: Absentee & Early Mail ballot applications must be received if ballots are to be mailed
• Tuesday, May 12, 2026: Post fourth of four required legal notices of budget hearing and vote 
• Wednesday, May 13, 2026: Required Budget Notice and Budget Newsletter mailed (Last Date May 13, 2026) 
• Tuesday, May 19, 2026: Annual Meeting (VOTE for Budget and Proposition(s) and elect Board)
• Tuesday, May 19, 2026: Board of Education meets to accept results of Annual Election
• Tuesday, May 26, 2026: Board of Education Business Meeting

June 2026

• Tuesday, June 9, 2026: Board of Education Work Session
• Tuesday, June 16, 2026: Statewide Budget Revote Day
• Tuesday, June 23, 2026: Board of Education Business Meeting

July 2026

• Tuesday, July 1, 2026: Start of 2026-27 Budget Year
   

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 12, 2026, if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter. 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. Absentee and early mail voter’s ballots must be received in the Office of the District Clerk by 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

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.

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 composed 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 schoolchildren 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 2026, the budget vote and election occurs on May 19.

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.