Sweet Home proposes $105.6 million budget, seeks 0.4% tax‑levy increase; public vote set for May 20

The Sweet Home Central School District on Tuesday presented a proposed $105,576,012 budget for the 2025–26 school year that holds current programs steady and asks voters to approve a 0.4% tax‑levy increase at the district vote on Tuesday, May 20.

The proposal, which the Board of Education approved April 22, would raise the district’s levy to $54,486,662 and increase overall spending by about $5,165,590, or 5.14%, compared with the current $100,410,422 budget. "The proposed budget for the 2025–26 school year ... is $105,576,012," the district presenter said during the hearing.

Why it matters: the levy increase is at the state‑imposed tax‑cap limit of 0.4%, so the budget only needs a simple majority to pass in the May 20 vote. The district says the plan maintains staffing and instructional programming across all six schools and preserves the district’s annual bus purchases.

Key facts - Total proposed budget: $105,576,012 (5.14% increase from prior year). - Proposed tax levy: $54,486,662 (0.4% increase; $218,590 additional levy). - Revenue mix: real property taxes 51.6%, state aid 36.4%, sales tax 5.2%, use of reserves/fund balance 2.6%, debt service reserve 0.3%, other 3.9%. - Bus purchases: six buses budgeted, including four electric buses, with state and federal funding expected to offset costs. - Budget components: administrative $8,095,727 (~7.7%), program/instruction $80,293,511 (~76%), capital $17,186,774 (~16%).

District leaders stressed the uncertain state budget timetable but said current projections show a modest increase in foundation‑aid estimates. The presenter said the district has planned for a roughly $3.75 million increase in foundation and expense‑driven aid in the executive run of the state budget, though the speaker noted the state had passed its deadline and the executive run may change.

On reserves and risk: the district plans to use about $345,000 from reserves and $300,000 from its debt‑service reserve to help offset aid shortfalls; administrators noted that using the $300,000 will exhaust the debt‑service reserve. The presenter also said the district’s total reserves balance is roughly $9 million and that the budget includes a reserve usage plan to cover potential shortfalls.

Estimated homeowner impact shown at the hearing used an example home assessed at $250,000. Under current equalization rates and the proposed levy, the presentation projected an annual tax bill of about $2,425 in Amherst (an increase of about $7) and about $2,437 in Tonawanda (an increase of about $9). The presenter cautioned assessment data for the next tax year are not final until town assessment offices publish them.

Next steps: the district will present the budget to voters on Tuesday, May 20, when polls in Virgil Center will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Voters will decide the 2025–26 budget and elect two school‑board members to five‑year terms ending June 30, 2030.