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Harrison Central presents 2025–26 budget; public vote set for May 20
Summary
District leaders presented the adopted 2025–26 budget to the public, citing rising enrollment, a proposed tax levy increase to the maximum within the cap, an estimated tax-rate rise of about 2.8% and planned capital projects. The budget will appear on the district ballot May 20.
The Harrison Central School District presented its adopted 2025–26 budget at a legally required public hearing May 7 and reminded the community that the budget will be on the ballot for a public vote Tuesday, May 20.
Superintendent (unnamed in the transcript) told the board the district was asked to “create the best budget you can within the cap,” and described continuing challenges: growing enrollment, an uncertain state aid run, and federal funding proposals the district is watching.
Tim (business official, named in the transcript only by first name) walked the board through figures the district presented as the basis for the adopted spending plan. The district reported a total proposed budget of $146,400,000 and said anticipated expenditure increases of about $4.8 million. The real property tax levy is proposed to rise 3.1 percent to the district's calculated maximum levy, from a current levy of about $123.7 million to approximately $127.5 million. Because of assessment growth, the district estimated the average tax-rate increase would be lower than the levy increase, roughly 2.8 percent based on current assessment data.
Tim and other presenters said the district planned to use about $1.9 million transferred to the capital fund for facility projects and to increase the use of fund balance by about $300,000 to avoid service cuts and hold class sizes steady. District materials shown at the hearing also listed planned capital work including auditorium improvements at Harrison Avenue, boiler-efficiency upgrades at Parsons Elementary School, HVAC and building-management upgrades, and bleacher/scoreboard improvements at the middle and high schools.
A separate enrollment slide presented during the hearing projected almost 3,800 students currently and forecasted enrollment cresting near 4,000 by 2026–27. The staff member presenting the demographic material said, “We're at a high watermark at almost 3,800 students right now,” and the district said it had added positions in recent months to respond to growth. The budget includes the addition of instructional and support staffing costs previously covered from fund balance; the presentation mentioned 2.7 positions added last year that are now included in the base budget and listed planned additions such as a teaching assistant tied to theater expansion, a part‑time fitness-center supervisor, and a part‑time speech pathologist. The district also said retirement savings and other staffing changes allowed it to realize roughly 13 teaching positions within the plan.
District officials emphasized that the board already adopted the budget earlier in the process and that the public hearing is a formality required by New York State Education Law; the board will send the proposition to voters May 20. Officials directed interested residents to the district website for the full budget report, property tax report card and supporting materials.
No members of the public addressed the board during the hearing.
The board held the budget presentation as part of the superintendent's report; questions from board members and committee chairs acknowledged the difficulty of long-term planning under a tax levy cap and encouraged outreach to the community ahead of the May 20 vote.
