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Beekmantown board hears budget update: 3.85% tax levy increase, state aid adds $100,000 but budget locked
Summary
Superintendent reported a 3.85% tax levy increase for 2025–26 and a $100,000 increase in final state aid after the state budget passed; because the district already adopted its budget, the extra aid will reduce the use of fund balance rather than expand spending.
Superintendent Dustin told the Beekmantown Central School District Board of Education that the district’s 2025–26 tax levy will increase 3.85%, and officials expect taxes to remain under $16 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Dustin said the final New York state budget produced roughly $100,000 more in foundation aid than the district had anticipated. “Because we have a timeline that we are legally obligated to follow in terms of when we have to bring the budget forward for the board to adopt … the only thing we can do now with this information is say … the amount of appropriated fund balance that we had estimated will be decreased by that amount,” he said.
The nut graf: the board was told the extra state aid reduces the district’s planned draw on fund balance but cannot be used to increase the adopted 2025–26 spending plan because the budget was already finalized and legally posted.
Board members heard several follow-ups and constraints. Business staff member Jen said the district’s adopted total budget remains $57,100,000 even after the new state-aid numbers; one line item changed: the planned use of fund balance was reduced from $2,000,000 to about $1,899,000 to reflect the additional $100,000 in state aid.
Dustin and Jen also warned of continuing uncertainties tied to federal and state program timing. They discussed lingering questions about Extended Learning Time (ELT) funding and whether federal American Rescue Plan and other one-time funds will be available for future years. Jen said some federal fund guidance has been inconsistent and that the district is monitoring court decisions and state guidance as they affect allowable spending.
The board heard that local assessment equalization changes could affect tax bills for some residents. Jen reported a new equalization rate for the Town of Plattsburgh of 94.67%, which will produce a different tax rate for Plattsburgh property owners than for the other three towns served by the district; Jen said she had not yet completed the detailed tax-rate calculation but expected the overall rate would remain below $16 per $1,000 once finalized.
Capital and operating items tied to the budget were discussed. The district’s 2025–26 capital outlay allocation remains $100,000; board members and staff said there was advocacy to increase that to $250,000 to accelerate work and capture an 80% reimbursement, but that increase did not appear in the final state budget. The voter-approved capital project from May 2023 — a project the superintendent described as “just over $11,000,000” — remains underway; funding sources cited by staff included $500,000 from CARES/CRRSA/ARP-related funds, $1,000,000 from reserves, $3,275,000 from unappropriated fund balance, and approximately $6,300,000 to be bonded.
The superintendent also reminded the board that a bus purchase proposition was planned for next year for four buses but warned that tariffs or price increases could force the district to reduce the count to three.
Looking ahead, staff said they will return to the board with updated tax-rate calculations after equalization figures are finalized and will continue to monitor state and federal guidance that could affect multi-year forecasts.
