Board hears state aid changes, approves advertising 2026 budget notice

District finance staff told the Greenfield-Central School Board that changes enacted in the 2025 legislative session folded the curricular resource reimbursement into state aid, and that the state’s public projections of a "3% increase" to school funding mask important detail about how the money is allocated.

"It's not really a 3 percent increase," the district finance presenter said. He told the board the district expects about $1.2 million in additional state aid next year but that roughly $630,000 — nearly 60 percent of that increase — is designated to pay for curricular materials such as textbooks and student devices, and therefore is not available for hiring or compensation increases.

Administrators also reported that average daily membership (ADM) in the district is tracking slightly below the state's estimate; finance staff said they will update projections as state figures firm up. The presenter said the district has started fiscal‑2026 payments based on state estimates and will continue revising forecasts as enrollment and state data are finalized.

On a related item, the board voted to approve a motion to advertise the district's proposed 2026 budget and the Form 3 notice to taxpayers once the documents are finalized. The board called for staff to work with outside advisors, including Stifel Policy Analytics, to finalize assessed value estimates and tax‑rate advertising for the debt service fund and operations fund.

The motion to advertise passed on voice vote; board members signaled unanimous support during the roll call.

Administrators said the district expects to transfer a somewhat larger share from the education fund to the operations fund in next year’s budget to cover expenses affected by property tax reform and other state changes.