Wappingers proposes $321 million 2025–26 budget and $153 million-plus capital plan to add classrooms, services and buses

Wappingers Central School District Superintendent Dr. Bong presented a proposed $321,000,000 2025–26 budget and a separate capital project of about $153,000,000 during a district video presentation, saying the plans would add classroom space, expand special-education and English-language learner services, and fund a roughly $2,600,000 bus purchase if approved by voters.

The proposal would keep current academic programs and extracurricular activities, add special-education positions and an assistant superintendent for special education, expand language-based and ENL (English as a new language) supports, increase school safety staffing and replace aging buses. Dr. Bong said the proposed tax levy increase is 1.3 percent, below the district pplied tax-cap calculation of 1.57 percent, and that the budget relies on about $12,000,000 of general fund balance to lower the levy impact on taxpayers.

Dr. Bong framed the budget and capital request around three ballot propositions: Proposition 1, the 2025 '6 operating budget (about $321 million); Proposition 2, the capital improvement project (about $153 million); and Proposition 3, a bus purchase (just under $2.7 million). "The theme of this year's ballot presentation is building our future together," he said. He added, "The safety and security of our students and staff" is the district's top priority.

Why it matters: the district says elementary-classroom capacity is at or near capacity across multiple schools, limiting the ability to provide integrated co-taught (ICT), self-contained and bilingual classrooms in neighborhood schools. The district contracted Western Suffolk BOCES for a long-range planning study and released a facilities needs assessment showing classroom shortages at several elementary schools and modular classrooms nearing the end of their useful life.

Key budget components and program changes - Special education: The district plans to expand language-based programs and add two special-education teachers and two teaching assistants for a multisensory reading program, plus up to six additional special-education teachers depending on annual reviews. Dr. Bong said the classified special-education population is near 18 percent of the districta0enrollment of about 10,500 students ("about 1,800, 18 hundred and 50 students"). The proposal also includes a new professional-development specialist focused on special education and creation of an assistant superintendent for special education to replace a prior executive-director role.

- ENL and bilingual services: The proposal calls for adding ENL staff, including a teacher at Gayhead Elementary School, and creating bilingual classrooms where required by state thresholds. Darren Lokema, assistant superintendent for administration and information systems, told the board the district has "one of the largest growth of English language learners in Dutchess County" and that in some schools ENL support is provided in lobbies or hallways because classrooms are not available.

- Career and technical education: The district will continue support for the P-TECH program at Royce C. Ketcham High School in partnership with Dutchess Community College and Dutchess BOCES; three additional teachers in math, English and social studies were proposed to support that program (the presentation said the P-TECH program is primarily financed through a New York State grant via Dutchess BOCES).

- School safety and health staffing: The budget proposes additional school safety officers, continued assignments of school resource officers from the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office and municipal police at specified schools, and two additional registered nurses to support district health needs. Dr. Bong said the district will continue to advocate for state and federal aid for safety-related costs.

- Technology and facilities: The budget would add a network specialist and replace district telephone equipment; facilities work would continue using available New York State project funds and in-house staff where feasible.

Bus fleet and Proposition 3 The bus proposition would finance replacement and additions to the district-owned fleet. The presentation said the anticipated fleet would reach 261 vehicles if approved, including diesel buses, SUV student-transport vehicles and passenger/wheelchair-accessible vans; the plan would replace about 12 retiring vehicles and add nine to the fleet. The district indicated it typically finances vehicle purchases with short-term notes (bond anticipation notes) and that the bus proposition would result in an approximate additional principal payment of $42,400 beginning in the 2026 '7 school year on permanent financing, a figure the presenter said is about $5,027 less than the 2024 '5 payment the presentation referenced.

Contingency and the risk to programs if the budget fails Dr. Bong explained options if voters reject the proposed budget: the board could adopt a contingency budget, revoke the budget and revote a revised plan, or choose other actions the board deems appropriate. He said a contingency budget would cap the district's tax levy at the 2024 '5 levy and would require removing nonessential expenses. The presentation listed potential cuts under a contingency scenario including use of $5,300,000 of fund balance and personnel reductions described in the presentation as "up to 66" positions (in the slide commentary the superintendent enumerated roughly 50 programmatic positions, nine administrative positions and six facilities and security-related staff positions), reductions to UPK and classroom offerings, and elimination of certain projects funded outside ordinary operations.

Facilities assessment and enrollment pressures Assistant Superintendent Darren Lokema walked through the facilities assessment and identified schools with classroom shortages, modular classrooms nearing retirement (Fishkill Elementary modulars), and enrollment pressures at several elementary schools (Gayhead, Myers Corners, Sheaf Road, Fishkill Plains, Brinkerhoff and others). Lokema said four large residential projects in planning stages (mostly in East Fishkill) could add hundreds of homes and increase elementary enrollment, potentially triggering redistricting or additional capacity needs. "I could think of 4 big projects... they're mostly in the East Fishkill area, and would undoubtedly affect boundaries such as Gayhead Elementary," Lokema said.

The facilities presentation noted that removing 6th grade from elementary schools could free about 33 classrooms districtwide and ease capacity constraints, but the slide set and presenters framed that as one of several planning options rather than a near-term decision.

Community process and voter information Dr. Bong urged the public to review the budget materials on the district website and attend community forums (the presentation listed forums at John Jay High School and Royce C. Ketcham High School on May 5 and May 12). He said vote day is Tuesday, May 20 with in-person polling and that absentee and early mail ballots are available (the district clerk, Alberta Pedro, was listed as the contact for ballot applications). The superintendent closed by saying, "This project has my full support as superintendent in its entirety."