South Colonie presents first draft of 2025-26 budget proposing 3.49% tax levy increase and one electric school bus

The South Colonie Central School District presented a first draft of its 2025-26 operating budget at the school boardmeeting on March 11, 2025, proposing a 3.49 percent tax levy increase tied in part to the districtNext Generation capital project and recommending the purchase of one electric 24-passenger school bus to qualify for state make-ready grants.

School business official Miss McAllister, who led the presentation, said the draft projects $139,000,000 in proposed expenditures and a $10,000,000 increase over the prior year largely driven by capital project debt. "We are going to be levying hope in this budget, the first draft that I have, asking for 3.49%." she said. The presentation said the tax cap calculation reflects a roughly 2.5 percent baseline plus a 1 percent capital exclusion tied to debt approved by voters in October 2022.

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