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Dutchess BOCES official outlines 2025-26 administrative budget; retiree health costs drive Wappingers’ share higher
Summary
Matt Metzger, school business official for Dutchess BOCES, presented a proposed 2025–26 administrative budget of about $6.8 million, saying retiree health insurance accounts for roughly $5 million and that Wappingers’ component share would rise about 10.4% because of changes in RWADA.
Matt Metzger, school business official for Dutchess BOCES, told the Wappingers Central School District Board of Education on March 24 that the BOCES proposed administrative budget for 2025–26 totals about $6.8 million and that retiree health insurance is the largest line item, at roughly $5 million.
Metzger said the total administrative budget represents a roughly 4.5% increase from the prior year and that Wappingers’ component share would rise about 10.4—approximately $172,000—because of changes in the district’s RWADA allocation. “Retiree health insurance continues to be the really the largest burden on this budget,” Metzger said, explaining that retiree costs are carried in the administrative budget even when other program costs fluctuate.
The presentation outlined several assumptions: continued enrollment in career and technical programs (CTI) and special/alternative education; pressure from prescription drug costs; and efforts to offset administrative costs by charging higher administrative fees to non‑component districts that use BOCES services. Metzger said Dutchess BOCES is keeping capital rental funding at $1 million and highlighted a $17 million “book of business” for 2023–24 that generated about $3.1 million in BOCES aid.
Trustees asked how rising CTI and alternative‑education enrollments affect the budget. Trustee Morgan pressed Metzger on whether growth in CTI enrollment is driven by marketing, added programs, or both; Metzger said it is a mix and suggested developing niche programs or state‑of‑the‑art equipment to attract non‑component districts.
Metzger described RWADA (Resident Weighted Average Daily Attendance) as the state aid figure that allocates the administrative share among component districts; he noted grades 7–12 are weighted at 1.25 in that calculation, which can magnify shifts in a district’s share.
Metzger also described space and capacity issues at BOCES facilities, rising CTI enrollment and waiting lists for popular programs, and plans to continue work on facility and equipment upgrades. He said the BOCES administrative budget will be voted by component boards on April 22 and that he will repeat the presentation to the BOCES board of trustees on April 9.
The presentation did not result in a Wappingers board vote; trustees were briefed and asked clarifying questions.
