[{"_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",[32,75,87],{"_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":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6120985,"mediaKeyId","2704699-31aba22b7fe1a0d1b30a8b2f53946a24","parentId",2704699,"title","Baldwin proposes $172.88 million budget for 2025–26; tax levy to rise 2.87% as transportation and special-education costs climb","audioSeconds",1259,"startMs",55000,"endMs",1314000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2704699-31aba22b7fe1a0d1b30a8b2f53946a24&start=55&end=1314","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2704699-31aba22b7fe1a0d1b30a8b2f53946a24/thumbnail_55000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6120985/New-York/Baldwin-proposes-17288-million-budget-for-202526-tax-levy-to-rise-287-as-transportation-and-special-education-costs-climb","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6120985-351bb6df2429b3eadb50ef4065113205/orig.mp4?Expires=1770894058&Signature=COokK0189pxng~iItz5FzJj-T8Hm28t3TaT7PXCZ27PNgZFF~lxyXyC0jqNjmP6hAc6joA5JlHX7acsuBWVa~xmPe3URMO8dGlOefWpAVBcVFWdX6Yruw-n-5KqPiUnxRcTuPgUzg7r9V92~xGeOe~BmXjoZKc3ysr4AboYzNWfif9~2WbnbSxbtdHZmRCXjkVI4qvLmFvCeNKYOusk8wM8DIeaD-K4GzeNAGniNtF3C7cdBzsGWfURDPDTjnMpZtFmbd1UlLydIxMKMWOf6KaSaii6GJsxdn2w~ZgvzuX~nKsn7RynqIdlZM10I2tvNcBbyHw4EQ6zlG3tLH5t1ig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-19T18:51:32Z","article","Baldwin Union Free School District Superintendent Dr. Sherry Cammy on March 19 presented a proposed $172,880,888 budget for 2025–26 that would raise the district tax levy by 2.87% — inside New York State’s tax cap — while asking voters to approve use of existing reserves for capital work.

The proposal, which district officials said will be finalized after the state’s budget is set, is a 5.47% budget-to-budget increase (a $8,964,983 delta) from the adopted 2024–25 plan and reflects several rising cost drivers that the district called “mandated and unpredictable.”

Why this matters: the budget funds daily operations, state-mandated services and major capital projects the district plans to complete over the next two years. If state aid is lower than expected, district officials said the plan relies in part on reserves and fund balance to avoid sudden spikes in taxes.

Dr. Cammy said the district had factored three major cost drivers into the plan. “BOCES has announced that they are increasing the cost of transportation by 30%,” she said, and added that “the cost of special education over the last few years is an additional $4,500,000.” She gave a concrete illustration of how individual cases can drive costs: an out-of-district special-education placement with tuition and transportation could cost roughly $200,000 for a single student, she said.

The budget preview shows the library bond is carried through both expenditures and revenues — an accounting convention that raises the apparent budget delta but, according to the presentation, does not increase net district spending. The presentation also lists $2,100,000 of reserves and $800,000 of fund balance applied to the 2025–26 plan, and notes a pilot (payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) on the Grand Avenue revitalization project that is costing taxpayers just under $50,000 this year.

Capital work and timing: the proposed plan packages bond proceeds with transfers to capital and capital reserves to fund a slate of projects at Baldwin High School and other buildings, including: an extension to the 600 Wing that will house a performance-based learning center; renovation of the 300 Wing into apprenticeship/life-skills/work-based-learning space; upgrades to the high school performing-arts and career-technical-education wing; new turf at the middle school; and electrical upgrades at Lenox and Meadow. Dr. Cammy said the district is already working with architects and that most projects require state plan approval and roughly a two-year turnaround from voter approval to construction completion. She said a high-school wellness center is expected to have a grand opening in May.

State aid and timeline: state aid figures remain pending until the governor and Legislature finalize the state budget; district officials said they expect a final state aid number by April 1. In the interim the district is preparing the public-facing materials and the ballot language for the May 20 budget vote.

What voters will see: the district will ask voters to (1) adopt the annual budget for 2025–26, (2) permit creation of a new capital reserve (the district said the reserve currently has no funds and requires voter authorization to open and later spend), and (3) approve the use of $18,000,000 already saved in an existing reserve for specified capital projects. Dr. Cammy emphasized that the money in the technology reserve would fund new Chromebooks for third graders (and related accessories) and medical mannequins for the high-school medical academy.

Board questions and next steps: a board member asked for ballpark figures for the transportation increase; Dr. Cammy reiterated the 30% rise in BOCES transportation and the district’s recent $4.5 million increase in special-education costs, noting that single-student out-of-district placements can be costly and unpredictable. The district will finalize its budget materials after the state’s April 1 aid announcement and will publicly post board and voter notices required by law.

Votes at the meeting related to the budget: the board adopted the annual school-election and budget-vote ballot notice that sets the May 20, 2025 vote date and authorized the district clerk to publicize that notice. The board also authorized administration to prepare and file the 2025–26 property tax report card, the administrative-salary disclosure and other budget documents required by law.

If approved by voters, the capital-reserve spending the board included in the ballot language is intended to accelerate planned high-school renovations and other building improvements; those actions still require voter approval and subsequent state approvals where applicable.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board Meeting: Wednesday March 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Baldwin Union Free School District Superintendent Dr. Sherry Cammy on March 19 presented a proposed $172,880,888 budget for 2025–26 that would raise the district tax levy by 2.87% — inside New York State’s tax cap — and asks voters to approve use of existing reserves for capital work.","taxTitle","BALDWIN UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",54725,"location","New York","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_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":56,"_74":56},6120976,"Parent tells Baldwin board of ‘serious safety failures’ at JCC after-school program; asks district to review space, staffing and contracts",160,4332000,4492000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2704699-31aba22b7fe1a0d1b30a8b2f53946a24&start=4332&end=4492","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2704699-31aba22b7fe1a0d1b30a8b2f53946a24/thumbnail_4332000.jpg","/articles/6120976/New-York/Parent-tells-Baldwin-board-of-serious-safety-failures-at-JCC-after-school-program-asks-district-to-review-space-staffing-and-contracts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6120976-257734a50f28ff66f93fce79c9803d9d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770894058&Signature=DjJj9G~d8~VQxWUzMNE7g1zxtVvoNFqGwoPO79pMywtUQ4T0y9JcK2QCco0pkw94pAuDYKcQl0EP423ZrIqfUu-2cI7OmRduRc4GZdXXjYWa7uqbKrezFtCC-CvBCyLian4jLLz7~HfQlbEasDgqonXcA8b6yjyjg~9ayxYpqPtd5Die~l3R4jJMf7S3y2on6f5GuVTn8ZimAGkCnwZmHopF3Oct3i1KIT2hEUcTa8YIJd-lPGLvRmT0nkN1RBeUyx-qSsZydT-h8WIq1~GvWrwehqE8oMJM0scwRARRcXw-32ygUUHjxPGhWZL58-B3geAR6-4SpQhYg5S80x6Nww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Baldwin parent told the Board of Education on March 19 that her son was the subject of a safety incident at the independent JCC after-school program that runs in district facilities and urged the district to strengthen supervision, evaluate leased spaces and add accountability measures to contracts.

“Baldwin students are in the care within the Baldwin buildings and within our Baldwin roof. Our children's safety should be a shared priority between the district and outside organizations operating in our schools,” Jasmine Shepherd told trustees in public comment. Shepherd said she would not describe the incident in public but offered to speak privately with the board and district staff.

Shepherd asked the district to ensure appropriate staff-to-student ratios in the JCC program, to evaluate the physical spaces used by vendors (particularly areas with direct street access), and to implement stronger monitoring and accountability measures to ensure outside providers adhere to safety protocols. She said she had been in contact with district staff for three weeks about the matter.

Board response: the board acknowledged her comment and said staff would follow up; no formal action or vote was recorded at the meeting on the matter. Shepherd said she would remain available to talk privately with district officials.

What the record shows: the comment was a public request for stronger safety oversight of an outside after-school provider operating under a lease or contract with the district; it did not include a formal motion or binding direction from the board. Trustees later proceeded with scheduled agenda business.","A Baldwin parent said a safety incident involving her child at an independent JCC after-school program exposed gaps in supervision and physical security and urged the district to review staffing ratios, leased spaces and contract accountability.",{"_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":56,"_74":56},6120980,"Baldwin board adopts policy to seat one nonvoting ex officio student member elected by high-school students",319,4621000,4940000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2704699-31aba22b7fe1a0d1b30a8b2f53946a24&start=4621&end=4940","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2704699-31aba22b7fe1a0d1b30a8b2f53946a24/thumbnail_4621000.jpg","/articles/6120980/New-York/Baldwin-board-adopts-policy-to-seat-one-nonvoting-ex-officio-student-member-elected-by-high-school-students","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6120980-7922a781c532da3e478bea2b97214638/orig.mp4?Expires=1770894058&Signature=W9bRB2r1SZaAJ0yIjzxsie9TqPSrQUmo53ei~E0UykxsmQQ3ViVewmSHp5h8x0P-4Yd71OWXL~ZIu565HQqlyz~DIXGfK5wYjBEOjPWc4Ux2IBh0wPdq~lZ1nt3Ic3tjVLRNYW2zyuRfrpNwe3bru8Goq31e0nbs3XYqqcvml29OZCn5SFwHFY-wmw8NaWlTiGH-V1lfUtiptbnWC3WwmesInvdkfsvGIr522rs-SSrUz2uGdgJTtaZ0nqpfHohUkH7kB46UMkr040AeK1rhBDgpERj675cVtGq9kq1DYIS9zRAEJ0czpJJMmDayu2GIIlJ-Ku5Lpay7-jq7zmgqyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Baldwin Union Free School District Board of Education voted on March 19 to adopt a new policy permitting an ex officio student member on the board. The student will be elected by the high-school student body, serve a one-year term (July 1–the following commencement) and participate in public board meetings as a nonvoting member.

Board members said the policy is intended to strengthen communication between student leaders and the board while preserving confidentiality for personnel, negotiations and student records. The adopted language specifies that the ex officio student shall not attend executive sessions, shall not vote, and will not be part of quorum determinations.

The policy requires the student candidate to be entering 11th or 12th grade and to have attended Baldwin schools for at least two years. The student will serve on the student-council executive board and will receive orientation and training provided by the superintendent or designee. The board left open the option to appoint the student to subcommittees, while noting the student may decline such appointments.

Board discussion: the board’s subcommittee that drafted the policy said the one-year limit was intentional, designed to give more students the opportunity to serve. Trustees confirmed that ex officio student members will be indemnified as board members and that the policy would take effect in time for a July start date for the first student member.

A motion to adopt Policy 2245 (Ex Officio Student Member of the Board) was moved by Mrs. Kools, seconded by Mrs. Doresca, and approved unanimously.

Context: the board also adopted a separate revised policy (0110.2) addressing harassment in the workplace during the same meeting and handled routine consent items including personnel actions. At this meeting the board appointed Steven Saravia as assistant principal of Baldwin High School; the appointment was announced as approved on the personnel actions report.","The board approved a new policy allowing a single, one-year ex officio student member elected by the high-school student body; the student may attend public board meetings and subcommittees but may not vote or attend executive session.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Baldwin proposes $172.88 million budget for 2025–26; tax levy to rise 2.87% as transportation and special-education costs climb

Parent tells Baldwin board of ‘serious safety failures’ at JCC after-school program; asks district to review space, staffing and contracts

Baldwin board adopts policy to seat one nonvoting ex officio student member elected by high-school students