Monroe-Woodbury reviews proposed 2025–26 curriculum and instruction budget; textbook, CTE and special-ed costs highlighted

The Monroe-Woodbury Central School District Board of Education heard a preliminary presentation of the district's proposed 2025—26 curriculum and instruction budget at its regular meeting on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.

District curriculum staff said the draft budget is intended to preserve existing programs while accommodating specific line-item shifts and program needs. "This budget presentation is as of 03/05/2025," the presenter said, noting there remained about a month of development before the superintendent presents a final plan to the board.

The presentation emphasized several district-wide changes that will affect individual building budgets. District staff said the Into Reading (ELA) materials will be updated in elementary grades and that Envision Math textbook costs previously budgeted centrally will now be charged to each elementary building. The field-trip multiplier will increase from $14 per student to $18 per student, a change administrators said was applied across all principal lines that include field-trip funding.

Administrators discussed how universal prekindergarten (UPK) is budgeted separately. "Our universal pre k program exists separately from this budget because a good portion of that program is paid for out of state aid funds," the presenter said; he noted an interfund transfer in the general fund receives those state aid dollars and that most UPK materials do not appear in the curriculum and instruction budget, though a small portion of supply money for three SAFIRE UPK teachers is included in that building's lines.

Building principals summarized school-level needs and the lines that moved or increased. Smith Clove Elementary's principal said her budget reflects cost increases to maintain existing programs and an increase in social-studies materials. Sapphire (SAFIRE) officials confirmed current enrollment figures used to build their request and clarified that three UPK classes are limited to 18 students each; they said the budget shown was for the school's 281 K—12 students. Pine Tree and North Main principals described requests for furniture replacement (chairs flagged as unsafe in some 4th and 5th grade classrooms) and a plan to generate purchase orders after a final budget is adopted so items arrive for the start of the school year.

Middle and high school administrators outlined targeted increases and multi-year equipment needs. The middle school requested a modest principal line increase tied in part to an annual eighth-grade mural project and small increases for science texts and locks for student lockers. The high school cited increased professional development costs and needs for cabinetry and shelving in certain tech and auditorium spaces; administrators said a six-year digital-text contract coverage this year reduced next year's social-studies request.

Athletics and physical education staff reported program growth and modest budget changes. "We do have 73 total teams in the district," the athletic director said, and he reported roughly 650 students registered so far for spring athletics. The athletics request includes a new coed varsity clay-target team and a plan to split wrestling into separate boys and girls teams to match the recent introduction of a New York State girls wrestling tournament.

Special education and pupil personnel services (PPS) lines accounted for significant movement in the draft budget. District special-education leaders described increased costs in PPS administration tied to IEP direct and regional information center costs and higher Medicaid billing expenses; hospital instruction costs rose after a year-to-year analysis. At the same time, the district reported reductions in its committee on special-education and health-services lines based on actual 2023—24 expenditures.

Administrators said out-of-district tuition needs are projected to increase by 27 students next year; they described how resident tuition for students placed out of district qualifies for "stackable" high-cost aid reimbursement from the State Education Department and that the budget shows the full dollar amounts with reimbursement recorded on the subsequent year's revenue side. "This is the full dollar amount, and then it's reimbursed the following year," a special-education director said.

The presentation also called attention to career and technical education (CTE) demand: the district is budgeting for 10 additional BOCES occupational-education seats for 2025—26 (an increase from previous incremental increases of about five seats). District staff tied that planned expansion to an almost $200,000 increase in the corresponding line.

District staff framed many of the changes as bookkeeping and line-allocation shifts rather than net program expansions: moving textbook costs into building budgets reduced a district-wide textbook line and produced corresponding increases at the building level without a large net district increase. Presenters repeatedly described the draft as fluid and subject to revision before the superintendent's final budget presentation next month.

Next steps: district leaders said Dr. Norman will present the final budget next month after remaining development work and that the board will consider adoption later in the budget cycle.