West Seneca previews budget, proposes auditorium work and capital projects; launches community email group

At a work session on Feb. 25, West Seneca Central School District officials outlined the district's 2025–26 budget development timeline, proposed an $8.5 million auditorium infrastructure project that district leaders said would be funded in part from reserves, and announced a new community email group for non-parent communications.

The district's business official, Will Theo, said the preliminary 2026 tax-levy calculation is $71,889,614, a roughly 2.7% increase over last year driven primarily by changes in the capital exclusion calculation. Theo told the board the district will present a first draft of the budget at the March meeting, a second draft March 25, and aims to adopt a budget at the April 8 meeting before a public hearing and a community vote on May 20.

Superintendent Lisa (first name only in the record) summarized themes from a recent community “thought exchange” that district staff used to gather priorities, including building repairs and air conditioning, support for music, arts and athletic programs, elementary class size concerns, fiscal prudence and student social-emotional needs. To broaden outreach beyond families with currently enrolled students, Lisa said the district will “launch a community email group” and invited residents to sign up by emailing communications@westsenecacentralschools.org; a QR sign-up code will also be made available.

On capital projects, board materials and presentation slides link to an infrastructure assessment the district expects to release in April. District leaders said the building-condition survey will inform priorities for a future capital improvement project. Separately, the administration described a capital outlay program (typically $100,000 projects) proposed for next year to replace doors at Northwood Elementary; Lisa and Will said those projects typically receive roughly 76% state aid in the subsequent year, reducing the local net cost after the initial outlay.

District staff reviewed a previously discussed auditorium infrastructure project covering two middle-school and two high-school auditoriums. The total scope was presented as $8.5 million; the district plans to apply $2.1 million from its capital reserve fund and said that approach would reduce the local tax impact. The board was told the project would be placed on the May 20 ballot for voter consideration and that required environmental review documentation (a negative declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review Act) is expected before the board acts to place the proposition on the ballot.

Also on the near-term list is a bus purchase funded from bus reserves. Will Theo said the final vehicle mix and costs depend on chassis availability; the administration was estimating a proposition in the roughly $1.1 million range and said the board will vote on final numbers once vendors confirm available chassis. Theo said state aid runs used to calculate state aid are based on data frozen at different dates and that updated runs on Feb. 15 will be reviewed at the next meeting.

District leaders emphasized fiscal restraint and said they intend to present a budget that remains “underneath the allowable tax cap.” Materials presented to the board link to a longer presentation by architects Young & Wright and to the district's building-condition survey and past presentations.

The board did not take formal votes at the work session. The administration said formal agenda items and required resolutions (including environmental review certifications and propositions for the May ballot) will come to the board in March and April for action.