Saugerties board adopts $79.876 million 2025–26 budget at state tax cap; approves SEQR, BOCES items

The Saugerties Central School District Board of Education adopted a $79,876,153 budget for the 2025–26 school year and authorized submission of the property tax report card at the state tax cap at its meeting. The board approved the budget on a roll-call vote, 8–0.

District business staff presented the proposed budget and a suite of reductions and targeted additions intended to close a projected gap of roughly $2.8 million. The presenter recommended using $2,800,000 from the district’s unassigned fund balance to cover this year’s gap: “My proposal would be to use the unassigned fund balance of $2,800,000 to make the gap this year,” the district staff member said during the presentation.

Why it matters: the adopted plan preserves most core instructional positions while making reductions in administrative and extracurricular staffing, shifting some one-time purchases into the current year and maintaining services the district identified as priorities. The board and members discussed trade-offs between dipping into reserves and asking voters to exceed the New York state tax levy cap.

Key proposals and changes - Reductions and efficiencies: staff presentations listed multiple reductions including cuts to modified and varsity coaching stipends (district staff said the plan reduces some coaching positions but allows restoring staff if participation increases), fewer interactive display purchases, reductions in software and supply lines, and reevaluation of data-reporting contracts. - Transportation: the director of transportation proposed rerouting private-school…