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Hyde Park school leaders recommend 2025–26 budget with 2% tax levy; propose electric bus buy contingent on grants
Summary
District officials recommended a $125.9 million preliminary budget for 2025–26 with a 2% tax‑levy proposal (below the 2.43% allowable cap), and outlined two bus propositions including nine electric buses to be funded by NYSERDA grants and state aid so the district expects no direct taxpayer cost if grants and aid are received.
The Hyde Park Central School District administration presented the proposed 2025–26 budget to the board on April 10 and recommended setting the tax levy at 2% — below the maximum allowable 2.43% — with a proposed total budget of $125.9 million. Administrators said the recommendation uses a modest increase in fund balance to balance revenue uncertainties tied to the state budget.
"We feel very strongly that we can achieve the key drivers that we had indicated earlier…that's why we're actually coming below the tax cap," the district's budget presenter said, explaining the decision to recommend a levy below the maximum allowed.
Nut graf: The board was briefed on the proposed general fund budget, the tax‑levy calculation and timelines for adoption and public vote, plus two bus propositions to be decided by voters May 20. One proposition would replace a set of gasoline/diesel buses recommended for replacement; the other would purchase nine electric buses using external grants and state aid that, if secured, the administration said would make the purchase cost-neutral to taxpayers.
Key budget points and schedule - Proposed budget: $125,900,000 (a 4.13% increase in the aggregate budget figure presented at the meeting). The administration recommended a tax‑levy increase of 2.00% (below the 2.43% maximum allowable levy); using fund balance to cover the difference would raise the fund-balance appropriation from $2.9M to $3.2M in the proposal.
- Timeline: Board adoption of the property tax report card and the recommended budget is scheduled for the April 22 board meeting (also the BOCES vote night). A required budget hearing is scheduled for May 8 and the district budget vote is set for May 20 at Haviland Middle School (6 a.m.–8 p.m.).
Bus propositions and projected costs (as presented) - Proposition 2 (replacement buses): The district would replace seven gasoline/diesel buses at a gross cost of $975,075. With the state aid rate on bus purchases presented in the meeting (58.4%), the local cost after aid was presented as $405,631.
- Proposition 3 (electric buses): The district proposed purchasing nine electric buses with a gross price of $4,500,000. The district would receive $2,300,000 in NYSERDA grants (the vendor would receive the grant and reduce the purchase price to the district). The district planned to use $2,200,000 from existing capital reserves to cover the upfront cost; it also said the state will provide aid on the full gross cost of the buses and that, after combining grants and anticipated state aid, the district's net cost to taxpayers for the nine buses would be zero if the grants and aid are realized.
"After receiving the state aid and the grants, the cost for these 9 buses would be nothing to the taxpayers," the district presenter said, summarizing the administration's modeling.
Other budget items - The administration recommended a capital outlay project to audit the district's security‑camera system, followed by phased implementation and ongoing monitoring; that capital outlay would be presented as the district's $100,000 annual project under state rules.
- The presentation also outlined general‑fund priorities, a list of program and equipment requests prioritized through the district budget process, and the proposed return to using a capital reserve for the electric bus upfront payment (if Proposition 3 is approved and grants are awarded).
Community outreach - The district said it had produced a short "Budget 101" video and was preparing two further videos for taxpayers, circulating a short survey about budget communications and would distribute a budget newsletter and flyers with QR codes ahead of the vote.
Ending: The board expects to vote to adopt the proposed budget on April 22 and to hold the public hearing May 8 ahead of the May 20 voter turnout. Officials emphasized contingency planning because the state budget process was still in flux and state aid numbers could change before final adoption.
