The OSSINING UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT Board of Education continued its budget work session on March 19, reviewing Superintendent Mary Dot Salter’s proposed 2025–26 budget and taking several routine votes.

Mary and finance staff summarized the proposed budget approach: a recommended levy increase at the district’s maximum allowable tax cap (1.67% for 2025–26), a general‑fund spending plan that tightens use of fund balance compared with recent years and a set of recurring and nonrecurring priorities. The administration described the proposed budget as smaller than the prior year by more than $1 million in total appropriation, while also identifying program and staffing additions that would be funded if the board adopts the proposal.

Key program augmentations the administration tied to the proposed budget included three new special‑education teachers, the multilingual‑learner staffing requests described by district staff (ELL teachers and Spanish AIS positions), three instructional coaches, a 0.5 music teacher at AMD, additional monitors for OHS security, funding for air‑conditioning and electrical work at multiple sites, and several extracurricular and athletic additions (unified sports expansion, JV boys volleyball, modified cheer). Mary and budget staff emphasized the district’s plan to set aside general‑fund balance to protect ongoing operations in the event of federal or state grant reductions during the 2025–26 year.

Finance staff and trustees discussed contingency planning. The administration described an approach using available one‑time revenues and fund balance as a temporary buffer rather than moving those dollars immediately into long‑term reserves. Trustees asked for clarification about the scale and source of the contingency: administration projected using roughly $6.6 million of fund balance to balance the general fund budget as presented and discussed the possibility of earmarking additional unassigned fund balance to protect salary and benefit obligations tied to grant‑funded positions should federal or state grants be cut midyear. Administration characterized the additional contingency discussion in the meeting as a planning exercise rather than a firm appropriation; trustees sought more detail on timing and on the effect on the district’s unassigned fund balance percentage.

On routine business the board took procedural votes. The board approved a resolution designating officials to act at the special district meeting; consented to cooperative bidding with Putnam‑Northern Westchester BOCES and an interfund transfer; and approved (by first reading) a revision to the high‑school grading/grade‑weighting regulation so valedictorian/salutatorian designation timing aligns with scholarship deadlines. The transcript records motions and seconds and that the board approved the items at the meeting (roll‑call tallies were not detailed in the oral transcript excerpts). The board then closed the meeting without entering executive session.

No final budget adoption vote occurred at the March 19 special meeting; trustees continued questions about specific line items and asked administration to provide additional detail for upcoming budget meetings so the board can finalize the proposed tax levy and the spending plan before the statutory adoption deadlines.