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Bennington Public Schools adopts $140.1 million 2025–26 budget and sets property tax requests
Summary
The Bennington Public Schools board approved the district’s 2025–26 budget — $140,138,659 — and adopted a property tax request allocating $30,188,107 to the general fund, $11,074,216 to the bond fund and $774,000.54 to the special building fund; board members approved both measures by roll call votes.
Bennington Public Schools board members voted to adopt the district’s 2025–26 budget and to set the district’s final property tax requests during a regular board meeting.
Dr. Bob, a district administrator, presented the proposed budget the board had reviewed at prior hearings and described it as the district’s NDE (state) budget — a conservative, “worst case” scenario that provides spending authority if needed. The district presented a total budget request of $140,138,659 and said the large percentage increase compared with the prior year is driven primarily by the special building fund after the bond passage last March.
The board approved the budget by voice/roll-call vote; the clerk recorded yes votes from Jeremy, Tim, Joe, Steve, Allison, Cara and Ellison and the motion passed.
Why it matters
The budget and property tax request determine how much the district may levy and spend next year. The district told the board the special building fund increase (roughly 350%) and the bond project account for most of the overall rise; operating (general fund) spending increased by 3.84% in the presented figures.
Details presented to the board
Dr. Bob said the special building fund includes proceeds from the $56 million bond passed in March, accounting for roughly $44 million of the year-over-year increase in that fund. The district reported the general-fund (operating) increase at 3.84%, the bond fund increase at 9.4%, and an anticipated actual expenditure increase of about 2.7%. Administrators told the board they currently anticipate a year-end surplus of roughly 0.5% of the total budget (about $300,000) if revenues and expenses track the assumptions presented.
Property tax request
The board adopted a property tax request resolution setting the 2025–26 tax requests as follows: $30,188,107 for the general fund; $774,000.54 for the special building fund; $11,074,216 for the bond fund; and $0 for the capital qualified capital purpose undertaking fund. The board moved and seconded the resolution and approved it by roll call (Jeremy, Tim, Cara, Joe, Steve and Ellison recorded as yes; motion passed).
Board comments and staff recognition
Board members had no additional questions after the presentations. The board publicly thanked Michael Titus Ortiz, identified in the meeting as the district’s coordinator of business services, for his role preparing the budget. The board also noted the district’s budget work spans many months and thanked administrative staff for the preparation.
What’s next
Administrators said the adopted budget is the NDE submittal that authorizes expenditures; it may be more conservative than the district’s expected final spending profile. The board will continue oversight as the year progresses and monitor revenues and expenditures.
