Board approves proposed $359.5 million 2025'26 budget for voter consideration amid public opposition to cuts

The New Rochelle City School District Board of Education voted Thursday to submit a proposed $359,468,597 budget for the 2025'6 school year to district voters on May 20, 2025.

President William Iannuzzi put the motion, which board member Vega moved and Ross seconded. The vote was taken by roll call; those who recorded a "yes" during the roll call included President William Iannuzzi, Trustee Castellano Minaya, Trustee Clayton Fernandez, Trustee Ross, Trustee Single, Trustee Vega and Trustee Williams. The motion carried.

The budget presentation, led by Superintendent Reynolds and Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations Carlos Leal, outlined a projected structural gap of $20,216,317 and described the district's efforts to balance revenue and expenditures. Leal said the district's proposed revenue assumes a tax levy increase of 3.95% "the same as last year," and includes $1,900,000 set aside to cover potential student attrition to a newly opening charter school. The presentation listed proposed revenues of $359,468,597 and repeated earlier estimates that a 3.95% levy would raise the tax rate to approximately $901.48 per $1,000 of assessed value, an increase of $34.26; officials illustrated the effect on an "average" home assessed at $160,000 as about $548.08 annually, or $45.67 monthly.

To close the gap, the administration proposed a package of reductions and structural changes that includes: reducing contracted services where possible, evaluating overtime, staggering elementary bell schedules to allow contracted buses to run multiple routes, balancing class sizes within stated ranges, and a proposed workforce reduction systemwide. Leal's presentation included a detailed staffing snapshot that showed 1,892 total positions and a proposed reduction of 193 positions across categories (teachers and classroom instructional staff, operations and support, district administrators and others), representing a systemwide reduction of about 10.2 percent. Superintendent Reynolds said the district would first use vacancies, retirements and attrition before layoffs and pledged not to reduce positions mandated by special-education ratios.

The presentation also summarized recent revenue and aid history, noting that foundation aid increases this year were limited and that the district had deferred previous allowable tax levies in prior years, contributing to the current gap. Leal said the district is relying on a combination of property taxes, state and federal aid and transfers from reserves to balance the proposal, and warned that if the budget were defeated the board could be required to adopt a contingency budget that would restrict spending to the prior year's tax levy.

Dozens of teachers, parents and community members spoke during the public comment period, nearly all urging the board and administration to re-examine proposed staff reductions and to cut administrative or non-classroom expenses instead. Speakers included teachers and union leaders who questioned the growth in central administration, increases in outside legal spending, and recent decisions on contracted services. Many said the cuts would reduce program offerings and harm students. "Keep our village whole," Columbus School teacher Alexis Candelario told the board. Fuse (the local union coalition) president Mary Claire Breslin asked trustees to "find the courage to re-examine these budget choices."

The board also approved routine consent items earlier in the meeting: a personnel consent agenda and a resolution approving the 10-month and 12-month district calendars for 2025'6. Those motions passed on voice votes prior to the budget roll call.

With the board's adoption, the proposed budget will appear on the May 20 ballot; the district will hold a budget hearing and continue community outreach. Superintendent Reynolds said the district will notify affected employees as early as possible after final adoption and will prioritize recall rights if positions are restored by future funding changes.