Scotia-Glenville board adopts revised 2025-26 budget; district projects tighter reserves next year

The SCOTIA-GLENVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT board adopted a revised 2025-26 budget on June 17 that reduces expenditures by nearly $615,000 and lowers the district's proposed spending increase to 2.19% from an earlier 3.14%, district staff said. The revised plan sets a tax-levy increase of 3.25%, which staff said is the district's maximum allowable tax cap level (about $849 below the statutory maximum), and an estimated tax-rate increase of about 1.63%.

The revision and the fiscal outlook matter because district staff forecast a smaller surplus this year and warned of multiple risks that could increase next year's levy pressure. "We started this with a significant budget gap of about $2,800,000," said Mister Giacuento, the district presenter during the June 9 public hearing. He told the hearing that the district is projecting roughly a $1.8 million shortfall in available surplus compared with the prior year and that the budget uses nearly $4.4 million in fund balance to balance 2025-26.

Officials told the public the revised budget restores two reading teacher positions that had been cut in the first version and reduces line items in transportation, building and grounds, billing and administration to find the $615,000 in savings.…