Victor CSD projects $2.1 million revenue gain but officials warn tax cap and BOCES aid uncertainty could widen budget gap

Victor Central School District officials told the board Feb. 26 that preliminary state aid estimates show modest growth but that uncertainty over BOCES aid and limits of New York’s tax-cap formula leave a likely gap between projected revenue and anticipated expenses for the 2025–26 school year.

"Overall, our state aid is up 2.41% from prior year, for $949,000 right now," Christine Griffin, the district’s new assistant superintendent for business, said during the budget workshop, calling the figure an estimate based on the governor’s executive budget as of Feb. 26, 2025.

The increase in state support matters because Victor relies heavily on local taxes and state aid: about 60–61% of revenue is expected to come from local property taxes, Griffin said, with roughly 38% coming from the state. Griffin said foundation aid in the governor’s proposal rose 4.29 ("Foundation Aid is only up 4.29%"), and she cited an overall governor’s foundation-aid figure of $26,587,119 in the proposal, while noting the district will not know final state aid until the Legislature completes its run (the district expects final numbers around April 1).

Board discussion focused on three main budget uncertainties: the final foundation-aid run from the Legislature, the…