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CFO outlines staffing, tax-cap options and budget uncertainties ahead of spring vote
Summary
CFO Terry Kahului reviewed district staffing by departments and discussed the tax levy and the district's tax-cap submission, saying the tax levy is roughly $51.4 million and that the allowable tax-levy growth factor for 2025 could permit up to a $1.4 million (2.74%) increase if needed.
The Schenectady City School District's chief financial officer reviewed staffing across the district and outlined the tax-cap calculation and timing as the district prepares its 2025-26 budget.
Terry Kahului, the district CFO, presented lists of positions by district office, elementary, middle and high school and noted that some positions are grant-funded while others are sustained by the general fund. Kahului said the district has not raised taxes in the last six years and described the tax-levy mechanics for New York school districts, including the CPI-based 2% component and allowable exclusions. He said the district's current tax levy is about $51.4 million and that, under the formula and current exclusions, the district could increase the levy by about $1.4 million (a 2.74% increase) if necessary — a step that would require a 60% voter approval if the board chose to exceed a standard threshold.
Kahului said the district still awaits final state aid decisions and noted that several grants (including federal ARP funds) are winding down; the district is reviewing which positions funded by grants are sustainable for the general fund. He described ongoing staffing meetings in March to reconcile vacancies, assess building-level needs and determine sustainable positions, and said the district would consider reallocating staff for the new Freshman Learning Academy as enrollments shift.
Kahului also summarized retirement and pension-contribution trends, reporting TRS and ERS rates were not increasing and that the district was monitoring those costs as part of the budget.
The board asked questions about shared services — for example, whether occupational and physical therapists are districtwide (Kahului said those services are shared and provided where needed) — and about whether district enrollment changes would affect the tax-cap calculation (he replied the tax-cap uses assessment and other external factors set by the state). The CFO noted the district must submit tax-cap documentation to New York State by March 1.
No formal budget vote occurred at the meeting; the presentation was informational and part of the board's annual budget season work.
