State budget yields small revenue boost for Goshen; district outlines next steps on phones, buses and meals

Superintendent Dr. Coates and district administrators reviewed changes in the recently enacted New York state budget and outlined how those changes will affect Goshen Central School District operations.

Administrators said the district will receive a 2% increase in Foundation Aid, which the superintendent estimated at roughly $480,000 for the current year. Officials had been monitoring additional possible increases during negotiations but said the enacted reconciliation did not include the extra 1% some advocates had sought.

The district highlighted several other provisions that will require planning or further information from state agencies:

• BOCES expense-driven aid: the salary cap used for aid calculations will rise in phases, raising the cap by $10,000 for 2025–26 and ultimately to higher amounts in subsequent years; the district noted it participates in shared BOCES services and will receive aid adjustments in future years tied to these caps.

• Device restrictions (bell-to-bell phone ban): new state rules will require districts to amend policies by Aug. 1. The district plans to reconvene its stakeholder committee to review implementation options, including cost estimates and potential products used in other districts, and to await state guidance about available implementation funding.

• Zero-emission buses: the state budget authorizes up to two 24-month extensions (each) for compliance with bus electrification timelines; NYSERDA will review district plans for extensions. The district reported two electric buses are on site and undergoing driver and emergency-services training, and that up to $100 million was appropriated in the state budget for bus purchases and charging infrastructure, with allocation details still to be determined.

• Universal free school meals: the legislation supports universal free breakfast and lunch for districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program, and requires districts to maximize federal aid first; state funds would make districts whole beyond federal allocations. The district has begun application steps and is evaluating capacity, storage and staffing for potentially higher participation; the food services director estimated current participation at about 40–45% of students and projected an increase of roughly 10 percentage points under universal free meals.

• Substantial equivalency for private schools: the State Education Department guidance has changed and district leaders said SED has acknowledged uncertainty about how newly enacted legislative language will be implemented; the district has completed recent reviews of private schools in its boundaries but said the new rules will require monitoring.

District staff emphasized that many program details are still pending and that administrators will return with recommendations and cost estimates as state agencies release application procedures and allocation rules.