West Irondequoit presents $100.6 million proposed budget; voters to decide May 20

WEST IRONDEQUOIT CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT officials presented a $100,611,335 proposed budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year at a public hearing, telling residents the plan would raise the tax levy by 2.73% and increase the tax rate by roughly $0.58 per $1,000 of assessed value. The district also scheduled a May 20 vote that will include the budget, a $1,620,000 maintenance project for Briarwood Elementary School and a proposal to establish a capital reserve of up to $20,000,000.

The proposal centers on a larger share of state foundation aid after several years of advocacy. "for really for the first year, ever, the amount of state aid is the largest slice of that pocket," said Mr. Brennan, a district finance staff member, during the presentation. Officials said foundation aid is up by just over $3,000,000 — nearly a 10% increase — largely because the state updated poverty measurements using a 2023 small‑area income poverty estimate.

"We've had the chance to, navigate the process. We recently were able to present the preliminary budget to the, to the teachers and staff, a little while ago. And that was a great conversation," said Dr. Johnson, the district leader, at the hearing. He framed the budget as the product of several months of review and cross‑district work and said the plan follows the district's budget objectives, including maintaining class sizes, meeting special education mandates, aligning curriculum and restoring programs as foundation aid returned.

District staff outlined the key revenue and expenditure figures. Revenue sources shown to the public included about $47,000,000 in state aid, roughly $45,600,000 from the tax levy, about $6,000,000 from Monroe County sales tax, and approximately $1,100,000 from savings and other sources. Officials estimated the projected tax rate at $21.89 per $1,000 of assessed value for 2025–26, an increase of $0.58 from the prior year.

Expenditures are expected to grow by just over 7%, driven by personnel and non‑personnel costs: contractual increases, added staffing to meet student needs, expanded special education services, an initial allocation of 10 Career and Technical Education (CTE) slots, and a marked rise in healthcare costs tied to the district's self‑insured fund. Mr. Brennan noted the district's consortium experienced a roughly 14% increase in health costs because of several high‑cost claims.

Staffing changes described in the hearing include converting a 0.6 FTE financial‑literacy position to a 1.0 FTE, adding a 0.5 FTE to expand English for New Language support in South End schools, stipended contact teacher roles for grades 7–8 tied to special education and technology needs, an additional freshman football stipend, and a second head bus driver to help mitigate driver shortages.

The district also described a new community schools initiative to be launched at Rogers/South Lawn as a hub for students and families. District officials said a $150,000 grant over two years will fund an initial coordinator position and that the district will partner with Monroe 2 BOCES and the Center for Youth to assess needs and build an implementation team. "It creates a hub of those services," said an unnamed district staff member involved in the initiative.

On capital work, the district intends to use the state's $100,000 general‑fund capital allowance (referred to in the presentation as the "100 project") to fund a renovation of the elevator at Iroquois Middle School, replacing mechanical and electrical control systems within the $100,000 limit. Separately, the proposed $1,620,000 Briarwood Elementary School project on the May 20 ballot would replace the roof and address boilers and HVAC systems.

District officials said recent multi‑year voter‑approved projects (named in presentation materials as RISE, Promise and Renewal programs) depleted capital reserves and that the proposed $20,000,000 capital reserve would allow the district to save for future large projects and reduce future local tax share. The presentation tied the reserve planning to a master plan being finalized by CPL.

Board elections will also appear on the May 20 ballot. Incumbent Board of Education members Elizabeth Ford and Board President Mr. Sullivan are running for re‑election; Gary Adams, identified as a resident and parent, will also appear on the ballot, officials said. The vote was scheduled to be held at the Saint Paul Boulevard Fire Department using electronic voting machines.

During a community Q&A portion, residents asked about whether rising state revenue estimates could increase the district's state aid beyond the governor's proposed budget; district finance staff said the most recent state aid runs were essentially in line with the governor's figures and that, unusually, the legislature had not added supplemental aid in the district's favor this year. Officials emphasized that some expenditure lines had been updated in state data runs, but that did not translate into additional aid.

The district urged residents to review budget materials posted on its website and to contact district offices with questions before the May 20 vote. No formal vote on the budget took place at the hearing; the presentation served as the required public hearing and informational session ahead of the ballot.