Business office flags roughly $6.5M preliminary budget gap; board discusses next steps
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Assistant Superintendent for Business reported a preliminary 2026–27 budget gap of about $6.5 million and presented interim financials; the board discussed timing for state aid figures and corrective‑action steps for the federal single audit. The board approved a consent agenda with multiple retirements.
Assistant Superintendent for Business Maria Benat Labarish told the board on Jan. 26 that the district is facing a preliminary budget gap of about $6,500,000 for the 2026–27 year, and that final state aid figures expected after the governor’s address will change that estimate.
Labarish outlined near‑term finance steps: she will use the governor’s state‑aid numbers to refine the revenue side of the budget, and she plans a February presentation on the non‑instructional portion of the budget. She also said health‑plan rates and BOCES service rates remain pending and will affect the final gap calculation.
Labarish briefed the board on a separate but related compliance item: the board’s single audit for federal funds required a corrective‑action plan before submitting documentation to the federal government; the corrective action currently on the agenda mirrors work included in the district‑wide corrective plan and must be approved to satisfy federal requirements.
Interim financials in the board packet showed November expenses of $9.9 million and December expenses of $5.3 million; Labarish reported total expenses through Dec. 31 of $36.9 million (about 38.1% of the total budget) and revenue through December of $71.4 million (approximately 77% of the budget), which she said is modestly higher than the prior year.
The board approved the consent agenda that included retirements effective July 1, 2026 for several teachers and for a teaching assistant, and a bus driver retirement effective Dec. 20, 2025. The motion carried on the board’s oral vote.
Why it matters: a multi‑million dollar preliminary gap frames the district’s budget choices this winter and informs staffing, program, and capital priorities; federal audit corrections must be approved to maintain compliance and federal funding continuity.
Next steps: board members asked for updated budget scenarios after state aid is released; Labarish scheduled further budget presentations in February to refine the gap and identify potential adjustments.