[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6667212,"mediaKeyId","2264600-1ed4bf6501848ea4b24af98757c18460","parentId",2264600,"title","Arlington officials outline budget gap, recommend staffing reductions and weigh tax-levy options","audioSeconds",1846,"startMs",176000,"endMs",2022000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2264600-1ed4bf6501848ea4b24af98757c18460&start=176&end=2022","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2264600-1ed4bf6501848ea4b24af98757c18460/thumbnail_176000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6667212/New-York/Arlington-officials-outline-budget-gap-recommend-staffing-reductions-and-weigh-tax-levy-options","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667212-ddedbbdd60d4dfbe706d2c6ce6728aef/orig.mp4?Expires=1773620894&Signature=XJj2m26JNVS-~eM15KO1JYcoCB-MF-5np~yYZxXRrEDTd-bBfzNbEK3j99M~XoT2Lo5Zx6jY9-5bFI8YivhI4~qAbRvN76GHAtJYgUFTnVM-E4MrnCytxFYT5OiKC8gs0--VeEQNZ1ow9SAu0BVWdtUnP1v4owGcGxqFFcf~bSU6zE4UHrxs7kdWsVv3IGnMBPJosBfKT4fxtX6J6hJewqM-WZCYXD~j3VxKKdQsrkr1pWxZQ-roN5Oj0smnm1z7Hoy6YrJY68dYBa2NB0xC836rRyvfYiE-DiLevpFgY1rY97zVxebqwuq6zhhHoYku4Ww8LyKirIMAlDf9OwVQjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Arlington Central School District","date","2025-02-12T02:14:59.85Z","article","Arlington Central School District finance staff presented updated revenue and expenditure estimates and outlined options to close a roughly $7 million budget shortfall, saying the district can narrow but not yet eliminate the gap without choices on taxes or further spending reductions.

Kevin Chilton, the district presenter on finance, told the board that the governor's executive proposal produced $471,357 more in state aid than the district had budgeted at its January 7 starting point. He said updated PILOT payments raised revenue by about $200,000. ‘‘From the time that we started on January 7, we've gotten updated or we've got the latest executive proposal, and that's going to be $471,357 more in state aid than I had estimated at the January 7,’’ Chilton said.

Chilton said the district is combining revenue gains with reductions in expenditure assumptions to reduce the shortfall. He said the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) employer rate estimate was lowered from 10% to the state-provided 9.59%, producing about a $400,000 reduction in expected expenditures. He also said the district is holding health insurance increases at 8% for planning and may tighten that line further.

Superintendent Dr. Benanti and finance staff said the district had factored in staff changes tied to retirements. Benanti noted 18 staff members announced retirements; the current budget model assumes hiring back 11 of those positions and managing a net loss of seven teaching positions through attrition. ‘‘The net reduction in teaching positions that we included in the model… was 7 positions,’’ Benanti said. He said principals and department leaders will be consulted before changes are finalized.

Tax-levy choices figured centrally in the presentation. Chilton explained the state’s tax-cap formula and said Arlington’s legal limit this year calculates to 3.74%. He described the board’s working baseline near the district’s historical level of roughly 2% and said the district could raise more, but doing so would require community support and possibly a ballot override. ‘‘This year's calculation yields a possible tax cap of 3.74… If we could tax a full 3.74 without having to get a majority vote… across the state, individual districts that have attempted to go over above the cap, the success rate has not been very good,’’ Chilton said.

Benanti and Chilton showed a revised budget model that narrows the gap but leaves a remaining shortfall under the 2% scenario. At one point Chilton described the district’s current modeled differential: with a 2% levy the district is about $2,670,000 short of fully closing the gap; taxing to the calculated 3.74% would cover the difference in the model but is politically and practically challenging. ‘‘So we are sitting at about 2,670,000.00 differential at the moment and a 2% tax increase. That's where we're at today,’’ Chilton said.

Board members pressed for more community education and discussion before settling on a levy target. Board members noted Arlington’s long history of taxing below its legal cap and urged the administration to prepare materials that explain the trade-offs to taxpayers, particularly households on fixed incomes.

What happens next: the administration will return with additional budget detail in meetings scheduled over the coming weeks, including a committee-of-the-whole session referenced for further levy discussion. Benanti said the administration will present recommended budget proposals in early March and that staff will continue to analyze expenditure lines and enrollment projections before firming recommendations.

Ending: Board members did not set a final levy at the Feb. 11 meeting; they asked the administration to provide more detailed scenarios and community-facing explanations ahead of next meetings so the board can decide what levy to propose in its recommended budget.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","ACSD Board of Education Meeting 2/11/25","oneSentenceSummary","Arlington Central School District finance staff presented updated revenue and expenditure estimates and outlined options to close a roughly $7 million budget shortfall, saying the district can narrow but not yet eliminate the gap without choices on taxes or further spending reductions.","taxTitle","ARLINGTON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",38566,"location","New York","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":46,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6667210,"Interim assistant superintendent outlines rising special-education needs, recommends program and staffing adjustments",1818,3840000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2264600-1ed4bf6501848ea4b24af98757c18460&start=2022&end=3840","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2264600-1ed4bf6501848ea4b24af98757c18460/thumbnail_2022000.jpg","/articles/6667210/New-York/Interim-assistant-superintendent-outlines-rising-special-education-needs-recommends-program-and-staffing-adjustments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667210-3e206c1d6497311714dd6330d908dffb/orig.mp4?Expires=1773620894&Signature=CifYho0~OJl4Csksb2Awyrv~FLCmfBP12HJ5YXQdSqod0-UACDF62VUhY9MJmNd6EDMumy2RhChOHeHDIwcmJ7zUm-06IYuW6Fx7Zt2T37iTmeTwXIOvU~e4oubtyHqfmCgA1hCN1sfzPhLxAMtOoaKdyHuXUYUvKgNjmpIkacuOchGtegOflD0kSRHVooaBxsMCaRlTbNtow5rvw100Z-0rerJS6i0X3FJ9~zqHjg27XFk8834uHSvXMRi0M67-W~~NIYZrfa7vR8h1kZkLglrd05ImuWa8cv~a9BaStyqfMnAfE5EL9k~1yVFh8gAGtjmy7uxM9FLE1LwcgnB4sg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lisa Castaldo, interim assistant superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services (PPS), told the board that the district is seeing rising numbers and deeper needs among students requiring special-education services and recommended adjustments to programs and clinical staffing to meet demand.

Castaldo described the PPS portfolio and emphasized the department’s role in foundational student supports, saying much of PPS’s work aligns with ensuring students have the safety and services they need before academic instruction can be effective. ‘‘A good way to think about what PPS does is… Maslow before Bloom,’’ she said.

Key numbers Castaldo gave the board:
- Preschool special-education (CPSC) enrollments and referrals are rising; the district’s CPSC count was 292 with 28 pending referrals at the time of the report. She reported that approximately 40 preschool referrals could become classified and enter kindergarten with special-education needs.
- K–12 classified students totaled about 1,513 and 1,337 were receiving in-district programming; the number of classified students has increased from prior years.
- The district is seeing more students with deeper needs who require self-contained placements; some elementary cohorts have increased demand (for example, an unexpected kindergarten cohort at Overlook discussed earlier in the meeting).
- Out-of-district placements have risen relative to BOCES placements because many BOCES programs are full; Castaldo and business staff described out-of-district placements as materially more expensive and in some cases requiring specialized transportation. She said some out-of-district placements can cost ‘‘as much as half a million dollars’’ depending on services and transportation.

Castaldo also gave operational and staffing context: counseling ratios vary widely across buildings (one example cited was roughly one counselor per 251 students in a specific building), CPS reports and self-harm risk assessments are nontrivial and likely to rise as the year progresses, and threat-assessment processes have been tightened; a forensic psychologist will assist staff to deepen the district’s threat-assessment work.

Her near-term program recommendations for next year included establishing a new primary K–2 self-contained class (12–1–1), creating a new secondary ‘‘Journeys’’ class (6–8, 12–1–3), and modifying the resource room/RSP program to ensure better fit with student needs. She also recommended reapportioning clinical staff to reduce disparities in counselor/psychologist/social-worker ratios across buildings.

Castaldo said PPS’s projected budget for the department is roughly $19 million for the current year and that she did not anticipate lower spending for 2025–26 given the projected increases in students needing services.

What happens next: Castaldo said administrators will continue reviewing referrals, work with principals on placement and staffing decisions, and provide more granular school-by-school data on clinical ratios and classified-student counts. Business staff indicated BOCES and district leaders are exploring hosting arrangements but cautioned about on-site support and staffing constraints.

Ending: The board heard a data-heavy PPS briefing; members asked clarifying questions about preschool classification pathways and out-of-district cost drivers and requested more school-level clinical-ratio detail at upcoming budget meetings.","Lisa Castaldo, interim assistant superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services, told the board that the district is seeing rising numbers and deeper needs among students requiring special-education services and recommended adjustments to programs and clinical staffing to meet demand.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6667206,"District details timeline and stakeholder process for multiple administrative hires",598,4612000,5210000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2264600-1ed4bf6501848ea4b24af98757c18460&start=4612&end=5210","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2264600-1ed4bf6501848ea4b24af98757c18460/thumbnail_4612000.jpg","/articles/6667206/New-York/District-details-timeline-and-stakeholder-process-for-multiple-administrative-hires","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667206-1ff9ff0c17f809ec773f47f300674a7f/orig.mp4?Expires=1773620894&Signature=AmxnJOINslWTdZoezfH-ND-ZM-Q0AnjRJ4hFeQ9OQvETHWwGM89F-xVBA-b~v6k05WB8rxiKF2a2qQEcoAhEC35EiIoDoWvP8cKJbo2aKd8uW~mHi7bQzp0yFN3s8LbfiKLYCBk~dcsuaQdlULPuAgQ~6JrIE~8uxd7IipCyhnaH6aw7aRhaAtvo7G~JI0eHr1v0Fyt39diM5T53NXEculrWNlKsJBLXyiE80O3DBEa7nicBipH~N~rA74cBTp5qmYZh4u91aOJSwBIcQ-XnxL~MRUadRC6nL9nAkhrUk6y9XcX-LkNwoS0yl4OVzfZiziqtNrGNFhAtagHJQrL8CA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Arlington Central School District shared a multi-stage timeline for hiring several administrative positions, saying the process is designed to produce broad stakeholder input while allowing the superintendent to recommend finalists to the board.

Hillary (district HR lead) described the sequence for current searches: recruitment and broad advertising, screening interviews, an in-person first round with administrators and union leaders, a second stakeholder round (which can include parent, student, faculty, and staff panels), and a final superintendent interview and possible performance task before an appointment recommendation to the board.

Positions listed as currently posted included two assistant superintendent roles, an executive principal, two house principals and an assistant superintendent for business. Hillary said the district posts to statewide education outlets and national job sites and screens all resumes received. ‘‘We post in several statewide spots, and we also post on things like Indeed and EdWeek,’’ she said.

She said stakeholder interview groups are advisory and that the superintendent makes the hiring decision; the timeline showed some searches progressing sooner (PPS assistant superintendent and executive-principal searches in March) and others following as HR capacity allows. Hillary said the PPS round will include parents and special-education staff when those roles are being considered.

Board members asked how parent members for stakeholder panels are chosen; Hillary said selections are often made through building principals and by drawing on parents who have expressed interest and who match demographic or programmatic needs (for example, parents of children receiving special-education services for the PPS search).

Ending: The board acknowledged the schedule and asked staff to proceed; final appointment recommendations will appear at future board meetings for formal approval.","Superintendent's office provided a multi-step hiring schedule for several key administrative positions, including assistant superintendents, an executive principal and two house principals. The process includes resume screening, virtual preliminaries, in-person panel interviews, stakeholder groups and a final round with the superintendent.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Arlington officials outline budget gap, recommend staffing reductions and weigh tax-levy options

Interim assistant superintendent outlines rising special-education needs, recommends program and staffing adjustments

District details timeline and stakeholder process for multiple administrative hires