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Board hears budget preview: health-insurance spikes and bus-electrification choices loom
Summary
District business staff previewed the budget calendar and warned of rising health-insurance costs (15–20%) and evolving state electrification rules for buses; two diesel buses are budgeted this year at $412,000 each while a temporary waiver may allow diesel purchases ahead of a 2035 electrification target.
Business staff presented a budget preview and timeline, highlighting several cost pressures and procurement choices that will shape the coming fiscal year.
Tim Burns, presenting for the business office, said the district expects usual budget deadlines (building and department proposals in early March, a budget presentation March 26, a legal notice April 2, adoption April 9, and a May 19 community vote). Burns reported that in one regional BOCES snapshot the BOCES received about $1.2 million in revenue and spent about $2.54 million, yielding a roughly 49% reimbursement of expenses — a reminder that state aid formulas affect district budgeting.
On costs, Burns warned health-insurance premiums remain a major pressure: "Health insurance is just going up, going up," he said, estimating increases in the mid- to high-teens percentage range. On capital and transportation, administrators noted a plan this year to buy two large diesel buses now priced at about $412,000 each; routing software previously separate is now included in bus pricing. Staff explained a two-year waiver process currently allows diesel purchases for a limited time, but the district faces a state target that DOT vehicles be electric by 2035.
Administrators said they are monitoring energy reports, waiver windows and regional infrastructure readiness; they may delay purchases depending on waiver decisions and broader state developments. On debt, staff presented debt-service figures showing principal near $1.2 million and a net projected district cost of about $25,000 on $2 million of debt service after state aid assumptions.
What happens next: Administrators will produce a more detailed budget presentation in February with line-item figures and bring contract and capital recommendations to the board for approval before the district's legal and public-notice deadlines.
