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Frontier Central projects roughly $111 million budget, weighs bus purchases and electric-vehicle infrastructure
Summary
At a March board meeting, district finance staff outlined a budget near $111 million driven by personnel costs, noted a recent $0.5 million uptick in state aid projections, and proposed purchasing school buses and electric maintenance vehicles while flagging uncertainties about charging infrastructure and electric-bus supply.
At a Frontier Central School District board meeting, the district's business official presented projected 2025—6 appropriations near $111 million and described revenue updates, proposed capital items for next year and uncertainties tied to electric buses and charging infrastructure.
The presenter said roughly three-quarters of the district's spending goes to personnel, with salaries projected to rise about 4% and benefits by roughly 7% to 7.5% for the coming year. He told the board the district is aiming to keep non-personnel increases small while trimming or streamlining programs where possible.
The presentation said the district is projecting approximately $109 million in revenues but that recent clarifications in the governor's budget boosted that outlook by about $500,000. "We're in a pretty good spot to match what we think we need to spend," the presenter said.
On capital planning, the district expects to ask voters in the budget vote to allow the board to set aside the district's customary $100,000 for capital outlay. The presenter also described a routine-seeming but dedicated security-camera allotment: his office plans to set aside $35,000 per year specifically for camera upgrades so the district can rotate and modernize surveillance equipment without drawing from the general fund.
The meeting included a proposed equipment proposition that would appear on the budget ballot: three full-size diesel 65-passenger buses and two electric maintenance/utility vehicles, with a total price “just under $600,000,” according to the presentation. District staff described that as lower than last year's bus proposition but still significant.
Board members and staff flagged two uncertainties tied to any move toward electric buses. One is charging infrastructure and the utility service at district property: upgrades to a property's electric service can take months if the utility must add capacity. The other is supply: presenters said manufacturers cannot currently produce large numbers of electric yellow school buses quickly, and electric buses carry substantially higher upfront costs even with state support.
Staff said they are meeting with vendors and local partners and will return with more detail on charger siting and cost implications; they are also tracking potential state and federal grant funding and transportation-aid formula updates. The presenter said the district is continuing to refine revenue and expense estimates as new aid and sales-tax deposits arrive.
Board questions focused on long-term operating savings versus upfront costs for electric vehicles, the timetable for utility upgrades, and transportation aid. The presenter said the district is scheduling a site visit with a vendor and reviewing local utility capacity before final decisions.
Ending: District staff said they will return to the board with more detailed cost estimates and infrastructure recommendations ahead of the budget adoption process.
