Webster CSD holds public budget hearing as board readies May 20 vote; $3 million in reserves, bus purchases and energy projects explained

Webster Central School District opened a public budget hearing May 13 as the board prepared for the May 20 budget vote and school board election.

District business official Brian Freeman said the proposed 2025–26 spending plan would increase overall spending by 4.39% and rely in part on $3,000,000 in reserves to close the gap. He told the board and public the state’s enacted budget provided a 2% increase in foundation aid rather than the 3% the district had hoped for, and that several state items relevant to schools remain unspecified.

The 30‑minute public presentation summarized revenues, expenditures and the district’s contingency rules. Freeman said, “You can’t predict the unpredictable, but you can prepare for it,” and walked through the three‑part budget breakdown the state requires: administrative (7.4%), program (78.7%) and capital (13.9%). He said the district’s proposed capital measures are structured to earn building aid in coming years.

Why it matters: voters will decide the district’s tax levy and several capital propositions on May 20; if voters reject the budget, the board may revise it or adopt a contingent…