Williamsville Central presents balanced 2025–26 working budget after cuts, aid shifts; board approves elementary AC bid

Williamsville Central School District administrators on April 8 presented a revised 2025–26 working budget they said is now balanced after changes to personnel estimates, program additions, spending reductions and adjustments to state aid.

Dr. Brownhall, the district administrator who led the budget presentation, said 30 teacher retirements and other staffing adjustments produced a net savings in salaries and benefits. “That along with additional special education positions that we will be adding resulted in a savings in our salary line of $640,000,” Dr. Brownhall said. He also told the board the district reduced its health insurance estimate by $231,000 and removed roughly $350,000 previously budgeted to support the school start-time initiative from the transportation line.

The presentation said recent state estimates reduced the district’s foundation aid by about $1 million, prompting administrators to increase local revenue projections and add $750,000 from fund balance to cover the shortfall. After the revisions, the district’s proposed tax levy increase fell below the statutory tax cap the administration is tracking: “Our new proposed tax cap is at 2.99%,” Dr. Brownhall said, noting the March 11 projection had been higher.

Nut graf: The revised budget closes a previously reported $320,000 working deficit and, according to the administration, preserves programming while adding targeted special-education capacity planned for the fall. Because state aid estimates remain provisional, administrators said they will continue monitoring revenues and told the board they can adjust staffing or other nonclassroom expenditures if federal or state funding changes.

Board members asked for details on specific lines and contingencies. Dr. Singh asked whether the 30 retirements might grow; Dr. Brownhall replied retirements tied to the incentive typically are reported by a February 1 deadline but that “there could be more.” Board member Mr. Manna asked about the sales-tax change; the administration said the sales-tax estimate was revised upward relative to the district’s earlier projection but remains below the prior year’s actual collections. The presentation and documents were available in the district’s BoardDocs file repository, the administration said.

Public forum comments focused on transportation and special-education programming. Angelica Martino, a community member, asked whether savings in the transportation line could fund middle-school sports busing. The board and staff said the $700,000 transportation adjustment was already applied to balance the budget and that providing dedicated sports busing faces both cost and driver-capacity limits. As Mr. Manna noted while describing cost estimates prepared for the board’s transportation review, “the grand total to shuttle the seventh and eighth graders is a little over $66,000 — that’s one year.” Board members added that a district transportation study is underway to identify potential efficiencies.

Special education was raised several times. Dr. Brownhall said the district plans to add special-education programming and positions in the fall as recommended by a recent strategic plan presentation from the Western New York Educational Service Council. Administrators said the special-education team will continue to assess whether it is fiscally responsible to offer certain in-district programs (for example, a standards-based 8:1:1 classroom) or to place students in BOCES or other out-of-district placements.

Votes at a glance: During the meeting the board voted on a single business item announced from the agenda. The board approved the elementary air-conditioning bid award “as presented.” The motion carried unanimously; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the meeting transcript.

The administration characterized the budget as a working document and said it could be revised if the governor’s or Congress’s final actions change aid levels. Dr. Brownhall said staff would first look at unfilled positions and nonclassroom expenditures to identify funds if needed.

Ending: The board noted the district’s community budget forum and the next regular meeting date in BoardDocs. The special meeting adjourned after the bid award vote.