Greece Central superintendent outlines $318.5 million budget, bus and capital reserve propositions for May vote

Superintendent Jeremy Smalling presented the Greece Central School District—s proposed 2025-26 budget to the board and public, saying the plan "balances student needs and fiscal responsibility" and totals $318,529,556, a year-to-year increase of about $10.7 million (roughly 3.5 percent).

The budget presentation underlined three strategic commitments the administration is funding: "Ignite Learning," with roughly $135 million in selected initiatives; "Cultivate Trust," with about $9.3 million in selected initiatives; and "Expand Opportunity," with about $11.6 million in selected initiatives. Smalling said the proposal is designed to address rising special-education needs, staffing shortages and student behavior that the district—s community feedback identified as priorities.

Why it matters: the proposal sets program and staffing priorities and places two propositions on the May ballot that would require voter approval: (1) replacement of 35 school buses and (2) creation of a new capital reserve fund capped at $50 million. If adopted by voters, those propositions could change how the district finances fleet and capital work.

Key budget and revenue figures cited by district staff: the presentation lists projected state aid at $168.4 million (the executive/board figure), a calculated tax levy limit of $128,072,028 (the maximum levy under the district—s tax-cap calculation) and a proposed total budget of $318,529,556. The district said it expects to finance bus purchases with a combination of state aid, about $1.8 million from reserves and five-year financing so the purchases will not require an increase to the tax levy.

Special education and student-support needs were a prominent focus. Smalling and district staff described growth in the district—s special-education population: 78 self-contained classrooms, 162 students requiring one-to-one aides, a 42 percent increase in students needing occupational/physical/speech services since 2019-20, and a 25 percent rise in students with behavior interventions on their IEPs over the past five years. Smalling said fewer out-of-district placement options are compounding local demand and that those enrollment and needs shifts are embedded in the budget.

The presentation also described a space constraint that affects the district—s ability to expand Universal Prekindergarten (UPK). Smalling said the move from half-day to full-day UPK reduced available classroom slots and that the district is exploring partnerships with community-based organizations and capital options to expand capacity; he noted the district had roughly 150 families on a wait list and described active efforts to reduce it.

Safety investments: the district said weapons-detection systems will be in every secondary school by February under a grant that covers equipment but not the ongoing staffing and training costs; administrators flagged those unfilled staffing/training costs as a budgetary consideration.

Ballot propositions and voting logistics: the district described two propositions for the May ballot. The bus-replacement proposition would permit purchase of 35 gas and diesel buses, with a total aggregate cost that the district said "will not exceed $5,647,000," and the district plans to apply approximately $1.8 million from reserves so there would be no additional cost to the tax levy for that purchase. The capital-reserve proposition would authorize creation of a new capital reserve, capped at $50 million, for deposits over a 15-year period; any spending from the reserve would remain subject to voter approval.

Voting procedures: district staff said the May 20 vote will use new touchscreen voting machines at a centralized polling location (the Transportation Center) with polls open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. All registered voters are eligible to vote by mail; applications and further details are to be posted on the district website when available. The board will vote on the proposed budget at its April 22 meeting and hold a formal public budget hearing May 6. The district said a budget book will be made available to the public in late April.

What—s next: Smalling said the administration will return to the board on April 22 to ask for adoption of the budget and that the district will post updated materials, answer questions at scheduled public sessions and adjust the adopted budget if materially affected by the final state budget or state-aid runs.

Quote: "Our goal is to give the board and community members a clear, comprehensive understanding of what we are proposing, why it matters, and how the budget proposal balances student needs and fiscal responsibility," Superintendent Jeremy Smalling said during the presentation.

Ending: The district encouraged residents to review the budget book and attend the public sessions scheduled in late April and May; the board will take the formal adoption vote on April 22, and voters will decide the budget and two propositions on May 20.