Arlington Central unveils budget recommendation with added school safety, pre-K contingency and staffing adjustments

Superintendent Dr. Benante presented the Arlington Central School District’s recommended budget for next school year, proposing additions for school safety and targeted program support while reducing staffing in a specialized program to close the district’s budget gap.

The administration said the recommended budget would maintain existing programs and services, add one school resource officer (SRO) next year (the first step in a planned two-year increase), purchase CRG mapping software for emergency responders, add a safety staff member at Union Vale Middle School, continue a three-year contract with Solution Tree for professional learning (approximately $90,000 per year, aidable through BOCES), and set aside $325,000 to supplement state per-pupil UPK payments for out-of-district providers if a state pre-K expansion grant is not available.

Why it matters: The district framed the budget as balancing program continuity with fiscal constraints. Administrators said federal pandemic funds that previously supported expanded staffing and initiatives have expired and foundation aid increases are unlikely to repeat at prior multi‑percentage levels. The administration proposed a 2.74% tax‑levy increase to generate roughly $1.1 million in additional revenue and presented a set of expenditure reductions and revenue adjustments intended to arrive at a $268.0 million budget figure.

Key elements and figures cited by the…