The Ellenville Central School District Board of Education is proposing a $64,743,465 budget for the 2024-2025 school year, a spending plan that carries a tax levy increase of 2.34 percent, which is within the level permitted by the New York State tax levy limit calculation for a simple-majority voter approval.
Most of the proposed budget (74.9 percent) supports programs that directly benefit students. Administrative costs account for 13.2 percent, and capital costs account for 11.9 percent.
The budget proposal will be presented to voters on Tuesday, May 21, from 8 AM to 8 PM, at the Ellenville Senior High School Media Center.
Keep reading for more information about the budget proposal, or visit our Budget & Finance page for more details, including a link to a digital copy of this year's Budget Newsletter.
For more information about voting, please contact the District Clerk at (845) 647-0100, or by email.
Preserves All Academic Programs and Support Services for Students
This year’s budget proposal maintains all current programs and staffing levels. The academic and mental health supports that were put in place following the pandemic are also being continued.
“Thanks to careful fiscal management, the programs and positions that were put in place using federal American Rescue Plan funding have been built into the budget to ensure that we are continuing to meet the academic and social and emotional needs of our students,” said Superintendent of Schools Lisa Wiles.
The School Resource Officer Program is also continued under next year’s budget proposal, to ensure the District is continuing to provide safe and secure learning environments for our students and staff.
Staffing Additions
Included in the proposed budget is the addition of one Special Education administrator and one school administrator.
The spending plan also calls for the addition of a full-time mechanic to assist the Operations and Maintenance Department. This new position would fill a vacancy left following a recent retirement.
Revenues and Expenditures
This year’s budget proposal represents a $3,920,505 (or 6.45 percent) increase from the current year’s budget. The main factors driving this change include capital improvement payments, inflation, contractual obligations, and retirement contributions, as well as a significant increase in special education costs.
The recently adopted New York State budget includes a $30,221,960 aid package for Ellenville, which is an increase of 1.4 percent from the current year.
The Board of Education has also approved the use of $4,215,134 from the District’s fund balance (unused funds from prior years) to help balance the budget and further reduce the impact of the budget on taxpayers.
Tax Cap Explained
Once again this year, the Board of Education worked hard to keep its proposed tax levy increase at or below the threshold determined by New York State’s tax levy limit formula. Even though the State law is nicknamed the “two percent tax cap,” the actual legislation is much more complex.
Basically, a school district uses a State formula to calculate a baseline tax levy increase. Two percent is merely one figure in this complicated calculation.
With a tax levy increase of $642,313—or 2.34 percent—Ellenville’s budget proposal is at that limit, and meets the requirement of a simple majority voter approval of 50 percent plus one.
What is a Contingency Budget?
If the District’s budget proposal is defeated, the Board of Education has the option of either adopting a contingency budget or holding a second vote on either the same budget or a modified one. If the second budget is defeated, a contingency budget is mandated. State law does not allow a tax levy increase under a contingency budget.
Under contingency, the State also places strict restrictions on the types of expenditures that are allowed, and eliminates the availability of free public use of facilities.
In this year’s case, meeting the contingency guidelines in Ellenville would result in possible reductions to non health and safety related equipment expenditures and possible cuts to programs and personnel.
Board Seats Available
The election of three members to the Board of Education will also be on the ballot this year. There are four candidates running for three available seats. Voters may also write in the name of another individual on the ballot.
The candidates, in the order they will appear on the ballot, are Iris Friedman, John Burns, Latisha Kentop, and Lisa Ramirez.
Please Vote
The community is encouraged to participate in the school budget vote and Board of Education election on Tuesday, May 21, from 8 AM to 8 PM, at the Ellenville Senior High School Media Center, which is located at 28 Maple Avenue. There will be ample parking available on campus for residents who come out to vote.
Applications for absentee and early mail ballots are available in the District Office, which is located at 28 Maple Avenue in Ellenville, and may be picked up between 8 AM and 4 PM Monday through Friday.
All completed absentee and early mail ballots must be received by the District Clerk no later than 5 PM on the day of the vote.