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Iroquois superintendent and business official outline budget pressures, state aid changes and policy proposals
Summary
District officials summarized fiscal outlook: a proposed minimum 2% state foundation-aid increase, a district levy projection above the governor’s proposal, declining federal COVID-era professional development funds, rising career and technical education costs, and operational questions about SROs, cameras and student devices.
John Wolske provided the board a mid-cycle budget update highlighting state proposals, projected levy impacts and several operational items that could affect the 2025–26 budget.
Wolske said the governor’s budget proposal includes a formula guaranteeing a minimum 2% increase in foundation aid for New York State school districts; Iroquois currently expects to qualify for that minimum. “We are hoping that, through negotiations that we’ll bump up higher,” he said, but added that even 2% does not keep pace with inflation (the district cited a current CPI of about 2.95%).
Officials noted other state proposals: universal state-funded breakfast and lunch for all students and a proposal to restrict smartphone use during the school day. The superintendent explained the cell-phone proposal would require districts to provide a way for parents to contact students during the day and that the state budget sets aside $13.5 million for storage solutions such as pouches or…
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