MSD Steuben County board reviews budget plan, advertises 2026 budget and authorizes up to $6.6 million in bonds

The MSD Steuben County School Board met Aug. 19 in the McCutcheon Administration Center Boardroom and, after a workshop on the 2026 budget and related planning, voted to advertise the 2026 proposed budget, a three‑year capital assets/projects plan and a five‑year bus replacement plan ahead of a public hearing set for Sept. 16. The board also adopted a resolution confirming a lease amendment and authorizing the school building corporation to issue bonds with a maximum principal amount of $6,600,000 and a maximum term of 15 years.

The budget presentation, delivered by Dr. Penrod, reviewed the district’s timeline and state review process. The school will post a notice of its Sept. 16 public hearing in the state’s Gateway system by Sept. 6, per Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) procedures, and intends to adopt a final budget in October and submit it to the DLGF before the Nov. 1 statutory deadline. Penrod emphasized that Gateway is the public site for budget, tax and levy information and that the district will use the standard DLGF forms and the statutory 1782 notice process that follows DLGF review.

Why it matters: the board’s budget and debt decisions determine how much revenue the district requests from property tax levies, how much will be transferred among funds if needed (the board asked permission for intra‑fund transfers and a not‑to‑exceed 15% transfer from the education fund to the operations fund), and how debt service payments will be structured. The board’s actions tonight set the advertisement and public‑notice steps required before the DLGF finalizes tax rates and the county issues the budget order.

Key details from the workshop

- Foundation amount and curriculum materials: Penrod said the state foundation (the…