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Honeoye Central School District Board approves $20.0 million 2025–26 budget; tax levy projected up 5.69%
Summary
The Honeoye Central School District Board of Education approved a $20,000,005.96 2025–26 budget on April 23, 2025, with a proposed 5.69% tax‑levy increase. Officials said higher expenses and increased use of reserves, partly offset by modest state-aid growth, drove the levy projection.
The Honeoye Central School District Board of Education voted April 23 to approve the district’s $20,000,005.96 budget for the 2025–26 school year, with district business officials projecting a 5.69% increase in the local tax levy to support operations.
Mike Kessler, the district’s business official, presented the final draft of the 2025–26 budget and said the expense side comes in at roughly $20.0 million, a reduction of about $51,000 from the previous draft. He said the adopted budget represents an $864,158 increase in expenses — a 4.38% rise from the 2024–25 expense budget.
Derek Vallee, who reviewed the revenue side, said overall state aid is projected to increase by just under 1% (about $76,000), while the district plans a larger use of reserves — increasing from roughly $379,000 in the current year to about $640,000 next year — to help balance the budget. Vallee noted the district is treating the still‑unfinalized state and federal budgets conservatively but is proceeding on the assumption it will receive anticipated federal aid.
Officials emphasized that state aid figures are not finalized. Kessler and Vallee also warned that tax rates themselves are dependent on municipal equalization rates and grievance outcomes; they said preliminary local tax‑rate estimates will not be finalized until June 30, and homeowners’ STAR exemptions were not included in the conservative examples presented.
The board also reviewed the property tax report card — a state required form that will be submitted after budget adoption — and approved the submission as part of the motion to accept the 2025–26 expenditures. The motion to adopt the budget was made and carried by voice vote.
Votes at a glance
- 2025–26 budget (resolution adopting budget and property tax report card): motion carried by voice vote (motion requested and voted at the meeting). - Consent agenda items (minutes, CSE minutes, treasurer’s report): approved by voice vote. - Personnel actions (resignation of Karen Hogg, appointment of Kyle Clement as varsity girls soccer coach): approved by voice vote. - Regional/administrative actions (Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES administrative budget): approved by voice vote. - Other routine motions (donation acceptance, transportation requests, contract and invoice approvals): approved by voice vote.
What this means
Board members and business officials said the levy increase primarily reflects year‑over‑year expense growth and a decision to apply a larger amount of reserves to the budget. Officials stressed that final tax rates will be set after local equalization and grievance processes conclude and that individual household impacts will vary depending on STAR exemptions.
Next steps
The district will submit the property tax report card to New York State the morning after adoption. The budget newsletter and the required budget notice will be mailed before the public budget hearing and the May 20 budget vote.
