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Schenectady schools present $291 million draft budget with $5.1 million planned fund-balance draw
Summary
CFO Terry Galuli presented a $291,099,922 draft budget for 202526 that maintains current programs and would rely on $5.1 million of fund balance to balance the coming year if adopted.
CFO Terry Galuli presented the Schenectady City School Districtbudget overview for 202526 2026 on March 26, saying the district is proposing $291,099,922 in total expenditures, a $13.4 million (4.81%) increase from the prior year. He said the draft maintains existing programs and staffing, includes requests for additional positions under consideration, and assumes current state aid proposals absent final state action.
Galuli told the board the revenue mix under the draft is dominated by state aid (about 76.6%) and local taxes (about 20.4%). He said the district is preparing the budget with the governorproposal figures in mind but without firm final state guidance, and the presentation uses the governorproposal as the working estimate. He noted foundation aid and building aid remain significant revenue drivers and that small changes in enrollment could move millions of dollars in aid.
Galuli said the district expects to use $5,100,000 of fund balance to balance the 2025budget and said the current-year savings that create that fund balance are in part the result of unfilled positions and lower-than-budgeted special-education tuition costs. He said a $5.1 million draw would equal less than 2% of the proposed budget and keep the district near its 4% unassigned fund-balance target.
On expenditures, Galuli said general instruction (27.3%) and benefits (17.5%) are major categories and salaries account for roughly half of spending. He noted charter tuition increases are projected based on current charter enrollment and that instructional technology, transportation and special-education tuition are areas of focus. He also described the districtcapital projects planning and the district's desire to retain flexibility to apply available general-fund resources to urgent building needs rather than borrowing where feasible.
Board members asked follow-up questions about the school-lunch program and the risks if federal nutrition funding changed. Galuli said the district currently participates in Community Eligibility for universal free meals and has a school-lunch fund balance that could support food purchases for a limited period; he said the state contribution would not replace lost federal funding at current levels and the district would need to decide whether to use reserves, cut other spending, or charge for meals if federal funding changed.
Galuli reviewed key calendar dates: a budget hearing scheduled for April 7, a board adoption meeting on April 23, and the budget vote on May 20, 2025.
