Superintendent presents revised 2025–26 spending plan after budget defeat; board directs team to aim to lower levy

Superintendent Douglas presented a revised 2025–26 spending plan to the HORSEHEADS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT Board of Education on May 22 after the district's first proposed budget failed in a public vote, 50.9% to 49.1%.

The revised plan trims expenditures and uses a mix of reduced purchases, unfilled positions, and newly available state aid; it also recommends using $1.3 million in debt-service reserves to lower the tax rate. Douglas told the board that "you only have 2 attempts" to win voter approval before the district is placed on a contingent budget and that administration has been working to keep reductions "away from students" and staff where possible.

The nut graf: the board is balancing two choices under New York law — resubmit a revised budget for a second public vote or allow the district to enter a contingency budget prescribed by statute. The contingency route would force deeper, more prescriptive cuts; Douglas said a contingent budget would require about $3.5 million in reductions and warned it would affect programs and operations.

Most important facts: the…