Elwood district details $78.5 million budget with 2.64% levy; warns steep cuts if voters reject

The Elwood Union Free School District presented a revised $78,500,000 budget that the Board of Education approved for submission to voters with a proposed tax levy increase of 2.64%. District staff told residents that the board adopted the revision after additional reductions and that the budget requires a 60% supermajority approval at the polls.

At a public hearing, district presenters said the administration identified roughly $827,000 in additional reductions since an earlier draft, bringing total cuts during the budget process to about $1.9 million. The presentation explained those savings came largely from retirements, combining low-enrollment classes and eliminating some full-time positions, and that the revised budget includes one year of a five-year literacy program and capital transfer for roof work at James H. Boyd Auditorium.

Why it matters: officials said if voters reject the budget on the mandatory re-vote scheduled for June 17, the district must adopt a state-mandated contingency budget. Under contingency rules described at the hearing, the district would have to make an additional roughly $1.4 million in reductions that could produce about $3.3 million in total cuts compared with the original proposal — reductions that staff warned could mean cuts to elective and AP course offerings, academic intervention services, elementary music, clubs and co-curricular activities, further increases in class sizes and limits on public use of facilities.

District staff provided examples of specific personnel and program changes in the revised budget. Presenters said approximately 10 teacher retirements allowed some positions to be left unfilled; the district is eliminating two full-time elementary positions and one high-school science position due to low enrollment, and plans to remove a restorative practices coordinator role while reallocating some duties to music staff. The administration said additional reductions affect overtime, equipment, materials and supplies and some custodial/grounds personnel costs.

Special education and mandated services were a recurring theme in resident questions. Officials said high‑need special‑education placements can be costly — citing out‑of‑district residential or 1:1 nurse placements that can reach “upwards of $300,000” for an individual student — and noted that state mandates and BOCES costs (including administrative fees) have increased district expenditures. The district told residents it receives partial state reimbursement for high‑need students but that reimbursements lag and do not cover total cost.

Transportation was identified as another rising cost. The administration said the current contract is year five of five and that transportation expenses have risen roughly 30% over the five‑year term; the district noted some transportation changes would require voter approval and cannot be altered under a contingency budget without a separate proposition.

Reserves and timing: presenters said the revised budget relies in part on reserves and fund balance. Staff said the district has drawn down reserves in recent years (from figures cited in the discussion as about $11 million several years ago to roughly $5.8 million currently) and that the board has tried to limit further reliance on savings. The budget hearing included a reminder that a more detailed line‑by‑line revised budget book and an updated tax calculator would be posted on the district website in the coming days, and that district leaders planned an informal public forum the following Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Quotes from the hearing were limited to those on the record. Presenter Mrs. Delgado summarized the action and the stakes: “The Board of Education adopted a revised budget with a tax levy of 2 0.6 4. A total budget amount of $78,500,000 and requires a 60% super majority approval rate.” On contingency outcomes, Mrs. Delgado said, “If the budget fails on June 17, the board has no choice but to adopt a contingency budget.” Board member Miss Dunkel pressed for specifics about cuts and programming and said the community wants clearer lists of which clubs and teams might be affected; staff responded that exact reductions will depend on enrollment and final budget status in September. A member of the public asked the board to consider long‑term effects on rankings and programming and said, “2.64% increase is below inflation,” urging voters to weigh program impacts when they cast ballots.

The district emphasized that many program options are not strictly mandatory under a contingency budget but may be among the most straightforward ways to produce savings because of their dollar value; administrators said they tried to preserve core instructional programs while targeting reductions that would avoid direct layoffs where possible by using attrition.

Next steps: the district will post the revised budget book and tax calculator on its website and hold a public forum. The budget re‑vote is scheduled for June 17; the polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., as stated during the hearing. If the budget is rejected, the district must adopt a contingency budget and implement additional reductions permitted under New York State rules.