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.

Why it matters: the capital project adds debt service that raises the levy above a typical year; even with state aid and grant assumptions, the district reported a draft budget gap of $164,000 as of March 11. The districtoutlined several staffing and program additions for instruction, special education and operations that would be funded if the budget is adopted.

Details from the presentation and discussion

- Tax levy and capital: The presenters explained the 3.49% figure as the sum of the districtallowable growth factors and a 1% capital exclusion for the Next Generation capital project approved by public vote in October 2022.

- Total and gap: The first draft showed $139,000,000 in proposed expenditures with an approximate $10,000,000 increase year over year and a budget gap of $164,000 at the time of the presentation.

- Staffing proposals: The draft includes funding to replace all teacher retirements and to add positions the presentation listed as "2 teachers at Lisha Kill, 0.5 business, 2 interventionists, [and a] 7-12 supervisor," and it also identified adding a school psychologist and other pupil-personnel services changes. These line-item descriptions came from the presenters' account of first-draft priorities.

- Bus purchase and replacement plan: The budget presentation recommended adding one electric Type A (24-passenger) school bus so the district can qualify for make-ready grants from National Grid and for the New York State bus incentive program. The presenters said the total cost of the electric bus is $326,000 and that a state voucher under the New York State bus incentive program would cover roughly $161,000, leaving an estimated net cost to the district of about $164,050.

- Replacement schedule: The district noted a bus-replacement plan that would include 10 diesel/gas buses plus the single electric bus in the proposed year.

- Timing and next steps: The board was told to expect a second draft on April 8, adoption of the budget and approval of the property tax report card on April 23, a public hearing on May 6, and the budget vote on May 20, 2025.

Board members asked for clarifications on specific positions, special-education and BOCES estimates, and the presenters said some figures (BOCES costs, liability insurance) were still pending and might change subsequent drafts. Miss McAllister said staff would bring updated cost estimates to the April meetings.

Ending: The board took no formal vote on the budget at the March 11 meeting; members directed staff to prepare the second draft for the April 8 meeting and to return with updated estimates and options to close the stated gap.