Victor CSD budget update: rising costs, federal/state grants under review and a transportation efficiency study

Richard Stutzman and Christine Griffin of the district’s business office provided the board with a detailed budget-development update at the February 2025 meeting, focusing on non-personnel cost increases, the district’s reliance on federal and state grants, and next steps in the budget calendar.

Stutzman reviewed non-personnel categories where costs rose: transportation increases driven by higher summer-school and special-education transportation costs; a roughly 4% increase in BOCES instructional costs; and a notable 42% increase in career and technical education (CTE/OCAD) costs tied to an increase in participation (the district budgeted for 77 students but now estimates about 105). He said some textbook and curriculum purchases had been consolidated under single account codes and that the district will pre-purchase certain ELA materials to avoid losing current-year allocations.

The business office highlighted the district’s dependence on federal grant funding (about $1,336,000 in programs such as IDEA section 611 and 619, Title I, Title II, Title III and Title IV) and state program funds (universal pre-K, teacher center, mentor teacher). Stutzman told the board that if federal funds were reduced or eliminated, the district would either suspend services or the local taxpayer would have to cover them; he recommended relying on surplus carryover temporarily and building those changes into subsequent budgets if funding were lost.

The board was told the district engaged Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES for a transportation efficiency study to examine run patterns, fleet size and scheduling to identify potential savings. Board members asked whether the study would consider future bus technology (electric buses); staff said the study will focus on current efficiency and run timing and not on electrification planning.

Stutzman summarized the budget calendar: a revenues review and tax-cap calculation at the next board meeting (submission the following day), a personnel update on the following Wednesday, another update March 27, final budget review and tentative adoption April 10, public hearing May 6, and the budget vote and Board election May 20.

The board received the presentation as information; there was no formal vote to change the budget at this meeting. Members asked clarifying questions about contingency planning if federal funding changed and about the scope of the transportation study.