Averill Park budget hearing outlines $1.6 million gap, co‑teaching plan to avoid layoffs

District staff told the Averill Park Central School District board at a budget hearing that the proposed 2025–26 budget began with an approximately $1.6 million shortfall and that the district had identified a package of changes intended to close the gap without any layoffs.

The presentation said salaries and benefits account for roughly 77% of the district’s budget and flagged two major cost drivers: an increase in prescription‑drug costs estimated at about $1.2 million and the continued effect of retirement contribution rates (TRS/ERS). At the same time, the district expects an increase in foundation aid of nearly 6 percent, bringing foundation aid to about $19 million and making state aid a larger but still secondary share of total revenue.

To close the budget gap, staff described a mix of staffing and revenue moves. The centerpiece is a shift toward a co‑teaching delivery model in elementary grades that staff said allows the district to reduce the number of paraprofessional aide positions and reallocate resources to hire…