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Gates Chili board approves 2025-26 spending plan for referendum, approves related propositions and routine measures
Summary
The Gates Chili Central School District Board of Education on April 22 approved putting a proposed 2025-26 budget and related propositions before voters May 20 and unanimously approved a slate of routine motions including tenure appointments, a property tax report card and a teachers' MOA.
The Gates Chili Central School District Board of Education on April 22 approved placing its proposed 2025-26 annual budget and related propositions on the May 20 ballot, and the board unanimously approved a series of related administrative items including tenure appointments and a memorandum of agreement with the teachers association.
Assistant Superintendent for Business Mitch Balli told the board the proposed spending plan carries a 4.85% increase from the current year and that the district is still awaiting final action on the New York state budget. Balli said the state’s planned inclusion of the more current SAPE poverty indicator in Foundation Aid calculations remains the district’s best expectation but that the district would use fund balance or reserves to cover any shortfall until state aid is finalized.
The board voted unanimously to: place the annual budget before voters on May 20; approve the district’s property tax report card for 2025-26; acknowledge and set ballot order for board candidates; approve the Monroe 2–Orleans BOCES administrative budget; waive a second reading and adopt Policy 6161 on conference travel reimbursement; and approve a memorandum of agreement between the district and the Gates Chili Teachers Association. All recorded votes were unanimous and the transcript does not list individual vote tallies.
Balli outlined the three propositions the board approved to go to voters if the board’s motions are certified for referendum: the annual operating budget; a bus purchase proposition tied to the district’s roughly six-year rotation of nearly 90 buses; and a capital reserve for bus purchases the district says could save about $200,000 a year in bond issuance costs by reducing the frequency of separate bond issues. If approved, the bus reserve would require additional administrative steps including work by financial advisers and bond counsel.
The board also approved routine district business: tenure appointments recommended by the superintendent and administrative items submitted as the consent agenda. Board members set ballot order for the May 20 election: Tanya Serbanowski, Jamar Elliott, Andrea Mincella and Dr. Christine Brown Richards. Polls will be open May 20 from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Spartan Field House at Gates Chili High School.
Balli said the district has prepared outreach materials including a budget newsletter and short video series; shipping of newsletter materials and video releases were scheduled to begin in early May. He told the board that if the state budget is delayed the district would rely on reserves near term and revisit assumptions for the following fiscal year if state aid is reduced.
Votes at a glance
- Motion to place the 2025-26 annual budget before voters on May 20 — approved (unanimous; transcript gives no individual tallies).
- Motion to approve the 2025-26 Property Tax Report Card — approved (unanimous).
- Motion to acknowledge Board of Education candidates and set ballot order — approved (unanimous). Ballot order: Tanya Serbanowski; Jamar Elliott; Andrea Mincella; Dr. Christine Brown Richards.
- Motion to approve the Monroe 2–Orleans BOCES administrative budget of $8,958,813 — approved (unanimous).
- Motion to waive second reading and approve Policy 6161 (Conference travel expense reimbursement; proposed change to increase allowable tip maximum to 20%) — approved (unanimous).
- Motion to approve MOA between Gates Chili Central School District and the Gates Chili Teachers Association — approved (unanimous).
(Transcript notes: several additional consent and routine items were approved by unanimous vote; individual roll-call tallies are not recorded in the transcript excerpts.)
Ending
School leaders told the board they will continue message and outreach work leading up to the May 20 vote while monitoring the state budget. The board’s motions now set multiple referendum and administrative items for the public and for subsequent administrative steps.
