District budget plan of about $378.7 million presented; board votes to require staffing-revision proposals and postpones final adoption

Newburgh City School District officials presented a proposed $378,695,404 general fund budget for fiscal year 2025–26 and told the Board of Education the plan balances projected revenues and expenditures while relying on a portion of fund balance and restricted reserves.

The board received the presentation from external budget consultants and district finance staff, then voted to add a resolution directing the administrative cabinet to prepare specific staffing changes to the proposed budget and later voted to postpone adoption of the budget so the revised staffing material can be returned for board review.

Consultant Dimitri Vasquez, who led the engagement for the district's budget review, told the board the proposed budget increases roughly $19.7 million (about 5.5%) from the prior year to a total near $378.7 million and that the budget materials are detailed line-by-line. He said state aid and real property taxes are the two largest revenue sources and that state sources account for roughly two‑thirds of projected revenue while property taxes account for about 28–30 percent.

“The proposed state aid revenue is about $245,000,000…there is an increase of $20,200,000 or 9% due to increased mandated set aside for the district's Contract for Excellence and increases in foundation and excess-cost aid,” Vasquez said during the presentation.

Assistant Superintendent for Finance Kimberly Roaring and Deputy Superintendent Marcy Peterson described key drivers on the revenue and expenditure sides: salary and benefits account for the largest shares of spending (salaries approximated at $168.3 million, about 44%; benefits about $112.7 million, about 30%), with increases driven by contractual salary steps, newly requested positions and rising benefit costs. The district projects higher excess‑cost aid for special…