Rye City School District unveils $116.0 million proposed budget, schedules hearings and trustee vote

RYE, N.Y. — At its Feb. 10 meeting, the Rye City School District Board of Education got a first look at a proposed $116,000,757 budget for the 2026–27 school year, a 3.08% increase from the prior approved budget, Superintendent Dr. Murray said.

Dr. Murray said the proposal was developed “through a very collaborative process with our administrative team, and we look forward to continuing that collaboration with you.” The presentation laid out the district’s budget timeline, forecasting community outreach between April 15 and May 14, a formal budget hearing on May 5 and a trustee vote scheduled for May 19.

Why it matters: Presenters said the plan maintains current programs and services while addressing student support, extracurricular funding, technology and deferred facilities work. The presentation framed the proposal as tax‑cap compliant and tied to the board’s strategic goals.

Major details and changes

- Staffing and student support: The budget would convert one contracted social‑work position into 1.0 full‑time, in‑house FTE, described by presenters as a budget‑neutral shift that preserves existing coverage at the middle and high schools. The proposal also reflects a net reduction of four FTEs to be realized through attrition (retirements or not filling vacancies).

- Extracurriculars and curriculum: The district proposes converting eight high‑school academic clubs into district‑supported teams — named programs included DECA, Model UN, Robotics, Rhythm On Rye, Science Olympiad, Mathletes and Engineering — allowing the district to fund supplies, entry fees and travel. At the elementary level, if enrollment projections hold, the plan would add two elementary STEM teachers (the presentation noted the district’s current elementary STEM teacher, Amy Carmen, is split across buildings).

- Technology and facilities: A two‑year Wi‑Fi upgrade will start at the middle and high schools, with elementary work planned for the following year; elementary buildings will receive new security cameras in a phased approach tied to new wings. Two facilities projects were noted as candidates for transfer‑to‑capital funds: a new roof for the high‑school gym and a new roof for the performing arts center.

- Revenues and levy: Presenters said the budget is tax‑cap compliant and estimated a 2.96% tax‑levy increase for 2026–27. Using assessor projections, presenters estimated a tax rate of approximately $785.35 per $1,000 of assessed value; they emphasized those assessment figures are subject to change and not final until July when the tax warrant is adopted.

Board questions and next steps

Board members pressed for detail on health‑insurance assumptions (presenters said premiums are anticipated to rise about 8.7% while the budget reflects a roughly 6.7% increase in the health‑care line, citing offsets in other benefit lines), pension expense interactions, and the mix of transfer‑to‑capital and debt‑service planning. Presenters said the district anticipated a peak in debt service and has strategically shifted funds to meet obligations while preserving capacity for capital needs.

The superintendent and administrators asked the community to participate in upcoming outreach events and said they will publish dates in the superintendent’s newsletter. The board will receive additional department‑level presentations in March and is scheduled to consider budget adoption at the board level in accordance with the timeline presented.