Scotia‑Glenville presents 2025–26 budget to voters after board adoption; 5.09% levy proposed

Superintendent Schwartz and Business Manager Drew Giacinto presented the Scotia‑Glenville Central School District’s proposed 2025–26 budget at a public budget presentation, telling residents the board adopted the budget on March 31 and will submit it to voters on May 20. The district’s proposed levy increase is 5.09%; the presenters estimated that translates to about a 3.44% tax rate increase because assessed values in the district are expected to rise.

The presentation described why the levy increase is necessary and how the district reduced the initial budget gap. The district started with a first draft on Feb. 10 that projected a $4.1 million (6.33%) spending increase and a $630,000 (2.54%) state aid increase, leaving a roughly $2.9 million gap to reach the tax cap. After about 10 weeks of review, the board approved a proposal that lowers the spending increase to 3.14% and retains core programs, athletics, fine arts, clubs and after‑school busing by using attrition and not filling some vacancies.

"We're very proud of this budget," Superintendent Schwartz said, noting the board and administration worked to close the roughly $2.8–$2.9 million difference and maintain staff and programs. Business Manager Drew Giacinto outlined the arithmetic behind the draft and the final proposal, saying the district landed on a $67.1 million spending limit and a $35.0 million tax levy. Giacinto explained that if voters reject the budget and the board cannot adopt a subsequent budget, the district would go to a contingent budget that would keep the levy at last year's level and require roughly $1.7 million in additional reductions.

The presentation highlighted three revenue and cost drivers:

- PILOTs (payments in lieu of taxes): Giacinto said three PILOT agreements—CDTI on Route 5, Shady Lane Apartments and Bellagio Cheese—are set to end in 2025–26. That will remove about $416,000 from the district’s revenue line (the PILOT payments) but add roughly $21.5 million in assessed value to the tax rolls, producing an estimated nearly $600,000 in tax receipts and lowering the district’s tax rate pressure relative to the levy increase.

- Transportation and an electric bus depot: The district must begin transitioning its fleet to electric buses under the state mandate discussed in the presentation. The proposal includes an approximately $2.6 million investment to upgrade the bus facility on Sacondaga Road—conduit, a transformer and parking‑lot work—to support chargers. "We should see no increase because of the transportation aid, the building aid, and the New York State incentives on this type of work," Giacinto said. The presenters cited a transportation aid rate of 64.5% and building aid of roughly 74% as the principal offsets. Superintendent Schwartz said the district set aside money in a debt‑service reserve and that, under current aid assumptions, the $2.6 million project would not increase taxes.

- Federal/state aid and reserves: The presentation shows state aid rising by about $630,000 (2.54%). The district will also use fund balance (its savings) to fund about 6.5% of the budget; property taxes make up roughly 52% of funding. The presenters said about 97% of funding comes from property taxes, state aid and fund balance, with the remaining 3% from federal programs, Medicare subsidy and charges for services.

On staffing, Giacinto and Superintendent Schwartz said the final budget reflects a net reduction of about 21 positions through attrition, leaves and specific eliminations of three non‑instructional positions (two in the district office and one in a school). Superintendent Schwartz said the district is maintaining teachers and support staff where possible but acknowledged constraints.

Special education capacity was raised by an attendee. Superintendent Schwartz said the district could not serve nine additional students with intensive needs this year and therefore continued to place them out of district. "There's a tremendous shortage of special education teachers and also support staff," Schwartz said, adding that surrounding districts face the same challenge and that hiring for high‑need programs (for example, some autism‑support programs) is "very, very challenging." He invited residents to contact him or Giacinto for follow‑up questions and noted materials and the presentation slides are posted on the district website.

During the Q&A attendees asked about electricity costs for chargers and lifecycle uncertainty: Giacinto said the district has not yet procured chargers and that technology and energy‑use ratios will evolve, so exact kilowatt‑hour costs compared with diesel savings are not yet known. He said state incentives and aid were the basis for the current projection that the depot project would not raise taxes.

The board’s adopted budget will appear on the ballot for district voters on May 20. If the budget is defeated twice, the district would be required to adopt a contingent budget with the prior year’s tax levy and deeper programmatic reductions.

For further information, presenters said the budget presentation and slides are available on the Scotia‑Glenville Central School District website and that residents may contact Superintendent Schwartz or Business Manager Drew Giacinto by email for details.