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Brighton board approves $110.57 million 2025-26 budget, sends plan to May 20 vote
Summary
The Brighton Central School District Board of Education on May 13 approved a $110,572,957 proposed 2025-26 budget and voted to place it on the May 20 ballot. The plan uses $750,000 of fund balance to limit the tax levy increase to the state cap of 2.03%, and reduces district staffing by about 12.08 full-time equivalents.
Brighton Central School District officials approved a proposed $110,572,957 budget for the 2025–26 school year on May 13 and voted to place the plan before voters in a May 20 referendum.
Superintendent Dr. McGowan led the statutorily required budget hearing and presented the figures, saying, “The total budget proposal then is $110,000,000, 572,957. That's an increase of 5.72, million dollars or 5.45%.” The board then made and approved a motion to send the budget to the public vote: “Motion to approve the budget as presented by doctor McGowan,” moved by Eleanor and seconded by Karen; the board approved the motion by voice vote.
The nut graf: the proposal seeks to balance program priorities with taxpayer protections by keeping the district’s property tax levy at the state cap while relying on reserves to cover the gap between allowable levy growth and inflation. The board’s action sends the final decision to district voters on May 20, when polling will be open 7 a.m.–9 p.m. at district polling locations.
Dr. McGowan said the proposal reflects three guiding commitments — responsible, respectful and responsive budgeting — and summarized the key budget mechanics and tradeoffs. Local and state revenue changes and a planned use of $750,000 from fund balance help hold the tax levy increase to 2.03%, the district’s property tax cap number; the presentation identified the CPI figure used in the calculation as 2.95%.
Major line-item and staffing changes in the presentation included: employee benefits rising by about 8.7%; BOCES costs increasing about 2.75%; building aid projected to rise 24.73%; and a reduction in full‑time equivalent positions from 677 to 658.74 (a net decrease of about 12.08 positions). The district will still allocate roughly 76% of spending to programmatic costs, the superintendent said. The administration also showed the estimated tax-bill impact on a $250,000 home: a $492 increase for properties in Pittsford and $137 for properties in the Town of Brighton, reflecting different assessment/equalization rates.
Board members asked about class-size projections and staffing assumptions; Dr. McGowan and staff said projections are conservative and that some reductions are being managed through attrition. The presentation noted planned increases in utilities and contracted services and that capital-related debt and transfers will rise as capital projects resume.
The board’s vote to place the budget on the ballot was unanimous by voice vote. No members of the public spoke during the hearing on the budget.
Voters will cast ballots May 20, 7 a.m.–9 p.m.; the board noted Monroe County’s new voting machines will be used and that there will be food trucks at polling locations.
For more detail, the district said budget documents are posted at bcsd.org/budget, including the property tax report card, staffing summary and the three‑part budget breakdown required by New York State.
