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Williamsville staff outline $244 million working budget and $950,000 repair-reserve projects; public hearing set
Summary
District staff presented preliminary budget projections — a working total near $244 million driven by salary, transportation and health-cost increases — and described proposed summer repair-reserve projects up to $950,000. Board will consider approval later in the meeting’s agenda; no final budget vote was taken.
Williamsville Central School District staff on Jan. 14 presented early budget projections that put the district’s working budget near $244 million and outlined proposed summer repair-reserve projects totaling no more than $950,000.
Assistant Superintendent Kelly told the Board of Education that the district is estimating required expense increases of about $11.3 million to maintain current programming next year, driven by salary increases, Social Security (FICA) costs, a projected 10% rise in health-insurance costs and higher transportation and BOCES expenses. "The first area, our salary increases total a little over $6,000,000," Kelly said. He estimated FICA increases at roughly $384,000 and transportation increases near $1.7 million.
Kelly presented an initial working budget total of approximately $244,000,000 for the 2025–26 fiscal year and noted the number could change as retirements, BOCES finalization and the governor’s forthcoming budget proposal alter revenue and expense assumptions.
Separately, Assistant Superintendent Kelly and other staff described proposed repair-reserve projects for summer 2025 whose total would not exceed $950,000. Projects listed at the meeting included:
- Repairing and re‑striping athletic tracks and crawl-space abatement at South High School; - Repairing cracks and resurfacing tennis courts at East High School; - Assessing and repairing or replacing the generator at Transit Middle School; - Replacing folding doors at Casey Middle School; - Painting and aesthetic work above windows at Forest Elementary School; - Parking-lot resurfacing at Lawrence Bell (district facilities and food-service operations center).
District staff said architectural and engineering costs associated with those projects are not expected to exceed $40,000 and that the repair-reserve account currently holds about $4.9 million; the projects would draw from that reserve. The board held a public hearing on the repair-reserve proposals; no speakers addressed the board during the hearing and staff said formal approval of the repair-reserve projects appears later on the agenda (agenda item 13a).
Assistant Superintendent Kelly also told the board that transportation is fully contracted with Student Transportation of America (STA) and that the district projects some transportation-cost increases tied to contract escalation and potential schedule changes. District staff said about 64% of transportation costs are reimbursable through state transportation aid, but final numbers will depend on ridership, routing efficiencies and the state budget.
No final budget adoption occurred at the meeting; staff said the governor’s budget and the state’s foundation-aid formula study could alter revenue projections and the district would return with updated revenue and tax-cap calculations in subsequent budget meetings.
Votes at a glance: - Motion to approve consent agenda (items 9–13): motion carried unanimously (no individual roll-call recorded in the transcript). - Second reading and adoption of policy updates (multiple policy numbers listed): motion carried unanimously. - Motion to table a set of policies for second reading at the February meeting: motion carried unanimously. - Motion to adjourn into executive session and to return to public session: both motions carried unanimously.
The meeting continued with a lengthy discussion of school start times, public comment and other agenda items; the board scheduled further budget work sessions and outreach as part of the district’s ongoing budget development process.
