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Wappingers board approves 2026–27 budget development calendar; superintendent outlines timeline
Summary
The board approved the district’s budget development calendar for the 2026–27 school year after Superintendent Dr. Bonk outlined the timeline, key dates and community engagement opportunities, including a May 19, 2026 budget vote.
The Wappingers Central School District Board of Education on Oct. 6 approved the budget development calendar that will guide preparation of the 2026–27 school budget, after Superintendent Dr. Bonk presented the district’s planned timeline and community outreach process.
“We remain focused on today as we plan for tomorrow,” Dr. Bonk said while presenting the calendar. He told the board the process will include multiple superintendent videos (in English and Spanish), public presentations and community input opportunities. The superintendent’s presentation identified key dates: a preliminary budget presentation on Feb. 9, 2026; a superintendent video on Feb. 23, 2026; recommended budget presentations in March and April; a state-mandated public hearing on May 11, 2026 at Roy C. Ketcham High School; and the budget vote scheduled for May 19, 2026.
Dr. Bonk emphasized that the budget “is not the superintendent’s budget. It is the community’s budget,” and listed the factors that will inform the budget: board goals, district mission and values, administration goals, community expectations, economic conditions, and state funding projections. He said staff will consider tax cap compliance, federal stimulus dollars, state aid updates and possible alternative funding such as payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreements. He also said the district had no current recommendation for additional capital projects beyond the 2025 capital project approved by voters last year.
After the presentation the board voted to approve the calendar. The motion, as read at the meeting, resolved that the board “does hereby approve the budget development calendar for the 2026 school district budget vote and board member election as recommended by the Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Business Development to the Superintendent of Schools.” Trustee John Morgan moved the motion and Miss Kellen seconded; the board approved it unanimously.
The superintendent asked the community to submit questions and priorities to budget@wcsdny.org and noted the district will share updates on the website as the process advances.
