Scotia-Glenville board adopts $614,964 spending cap after heated debate over cuts to reading support and building maintenance

The Scotia-Glenville Central School District Board of Education on March 30 adopted a spending cap of $614,964 for the 2025–26 budget revote, ending several weeks of public debate over two competing scenarios for closing a roughly $2.8 million gap in the district’s finances.

The vote fixes the dollar amount the district will present to voters on June 17 while leaving board members the option to choose how that money is allocated. Board members spent most of the meeting weighing two paths: “Option B,” which preserves instructional staff including two reading teachers and a librarian, and “Option A,” which aimed to keep those positions by making larger cuts in general support, building-and-grounds services and transportation.

Why it matters: Board members and district administrators said the district’s fund balance will drop below 1% for the first time in 20 years unless cuts or other steps are taken. Administrators warned that the alternative — a contingent budget if the revote fails — would impose much deeper, legally constrained cuts. Parents and residents told the board preserving reading support was essential for students recovering from pandemic learning loss.

Superintendent Susan and Drew, an administrator with budget responsibilities, told the board the two scenarios arrive at the same levy limit and the same spending increase but distribute reductions differently. “They end up…