Beekmantown previews roughly $57 million 2025–26 budget; special-education costs cited as main risk

Beekmantown Central School District’s finance staff presented a draft $57 million 2025–26 budget and warned the board that rising special-education and contracted services costs leave the plan with little room for unexpected new placements.

District business official Dan summarized projected revenues and spending during the board meeting, saying, “So our budget, what we're looking at at this moment in time, is $57,000,001.76.” He told members the draft relies on a $25,100,000 property-tax levy, about $30 million in state aid and other revenues, $300,000 in appropriated reserves tied to debt service and $2,000,000 from the fund balance.

The details matter: the presenter told the board the district had no buffer in its special-education contractual line and warned that a small number of additional out-of-district placements would quickly push the account over budget. “I have no buffer in this line at all,” he said, describing a scenario in which two new high-cost placements could produce more than $200,000 in additional expense.

Why it matters

Special-education placements and BOCES services are the largest…