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Superintendent: Governor’s proposed budget would bring Beacon a foundation-aid increase; district readies for ‘bell-to-bell’ phone policy
Summary
Beacon administrators told the board the governor’s proposed state budget would likely deliver a foundation-aid increase for the district and flagged a proposed state requirement for schools to implement a ‘bell-to-bell’ phone storage policy by Aug. 31. The board also heard details on local tax-cap factors and pre-K advocacy priorities.
District administrators briefed the Beacon City School District Board of Education on Jan. 27 about the fiscal implications of Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed 2025 budget and other budget-related items, including a proposed statewide “bell-to-bell” cellphone policy and local tax-cap calculations.
Superintendent Matt said the district is among the majority that would receive at least a 2% foundation-aid increase under the governor’s proposal. “This is a big change,” Matt said, adding that Beacon received no increase last year while about 300 other districts also received no increase. He said the district’s overall aid increase would be roughly 1.8 percent after expense-driven aid calculations are applied.
Matt described proposed state legislation as “what she’s calling a bell to bell ban requiring schools to develop and implement a policy, by August 31st, regarding cell phones,” and said the proposed budget includes funds that could help districts pay for storage solutions. He also said the district is preparing now even though final language is not yet settled: “We’re just gonna start working now, to, work on getting ready for this.”
Administrators told the board Beacon is already in the Community Eligibility Provision and provides free school meals; the governor’s proposal would extend universal free meals statewide. Matt also discussed possible federal funding uncertainties and advised the board to monitor Medicaid and federal meal funding because changes at the federal level could create state budget pressure.
Anne Marie (last name not specified at the meeting), who presented the tax-cap details alongside the superintendent, outlined local components of the tax-cap calculation. She said Beacon’s tax-base growth factor is 1.017, which the presentation attributed to new construction in the city. “That tax based growth factor is because of new construction,” she said, describing it as a potential local revenue source for the district if needed.
Administrators flagged pre-K funding and transportation as advocacy priorities. Matt said Beacon has expanded full‑day pre‑K and that the district’s advocacy work will press the state for better pre‑K funding and for transportation aid for pre‑K, which he described as a “legislative misnomer” around the term universal pre-K.
Officials said they will present more detailed budget information at March board meetings and the board retreat. Matt invited board members and the public to follow a sequence of departmental budget presentations planned for March and said retirements among veteran teachers (roughly 10–11) will modestly affect staffing cost projections.
No formal budget decisions or levy changes were voted on at the Jan. 27 meeting; the presentation was for planning and information.
