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District holds budget hearing for proposed 2025-2026 school year budget

Budget Hearing - May 6
District holds budget hearing for proposed 2025-2026 school year budget

The Mount Vernon City School District hosted a public hearing for the 2025-2026 school year budget this Tuesday. Jose Formoso, Assistant Superintendent for Business, presented the budget, which will go to voters on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. He then answered questions from community members. 

Click to view the budget presentation (PDF)

The budget includes a 3.3% increase to the tax levy, which adds $4.4 million in revenue that directly supports athletics, Universal Prekindergarten, visual and performing arts, and after school programs. The added revenue will also allow the District to address outstanding contracts with its bargaining units such as the Mount Vernon Federation of Teachers.

Mr. Formoso answered questions from the community, explaining aspects of the budget such as the tax cap and a possible state aid spin up, contingent on the approval of the New York State budget. The state tax cap for the District this year is 5%, and that number is calculated based on a formula for each school district in New York. 

The District has petitioned the NYS Legislature to include an advance of $8 million in state aid, or a "spin up". If the NYS budget passes, that funding would be approved. A state aid spin up allows the District to receive additional state aid and pay it back over 30 years. So, an $8 million spin up would reduce the District’s state aid by about $266,000 per year for the next 30 years, while addressing many of the current fiscal concerns. 

Budget presentations will be held throughout the community leading up to the budget vote on May 20. 

Upcoming budget presentations:

  • Thursday, May 8: 6 p.m. at Pennington School
  • Monday, May 12: 6:30 p.m. on Zoom with the Chester Hill Park Neighborhood Association. Click here to access the Zoom link. (Meeting ID: 989 7251 6370; Passcode: 271751)
  • Tuesday, May 13: 5:30 p.m. at Graham School with the PTA council, followed by a school board candidates forum at 6 p.m.

Voter and polling information, more information about the budget, and answers to frequently asked questions can be found on the District website at www.mtvernoncsd.org/budget. The full budget hearing video can also be viewed on that page.
 

New York State Education Department visits MVCSD
New York State Education Department visits MVCSD

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