Elwood board adopts $79.4 million budget with 4.2% tax levy; vote 5-0

The Elwood Union Free School District Board of Education on the evening of the board meeting approved a $79,395,286 budget for the 2025–26 school year that carries a proposed tax levy increase of 4.2%, a figure that exceeds New York State’s statutory tax-levy limit of 1.29%. The motion to adopt the budget passed, 5-0.

The budget presentation, led by the district’s business office, said the proposed levy would raise roughly $2.2 million in additional revenue and noted uncertainty in final state aid until the state budget is enacted. “The tax levy makes up about 70% of our overall revenue,” the presenter said, and the district framed the 4.2% levy as necessary to sustain programs and long-term fiscal stability.

Why this matters: By law, a budget that exceeds the state cap must win approval from at least 60% of voters on the May 20 budget ballot. Administrators told the board that failing the budget would force deeper cuts or a contingency budget; the presentation estimated a shift to a contingent budget would require an additional $2,230,000 in reductions and warned that cuts at the 1.29% cap scenario would total about $1,500,000.

B…