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Fort Edward presents 2025–26 draft budget, proposes splitting preK–12 principal and adding assistant principal
Summary
Administrators presented a first draft of the 2025–26 budget proposing to split the single preK–12 principal into elementary and secondary principals and create a full‑time assistant principal to oversee behavior, athletics and extracurriculars; presenters said the package raises the budget by about $253,000 (1.9%) and relies on targeted reserves and state aid.
Administrators for the Fort Edward Union Free School District presented a first draft of the 2025–26 budget at a board meeting, proposing an administrative restructuring intended to increase instructional leadership and stabilize leadership retention.
At the board’s budget workshop, presenters proposed replacing the single preK–12 principal role with two principals — an elementary principal (preK–5) and a secondary principal (6–12) — and converting the current TOSA into a full‑time assistant principal who would be responsible for daily behavioral management, athletics and extracurricular programming. “A TOSA is never meant to be in place for the long haul,” the superintendent said, explaining the rationale for reassigning those responsibilities.
Supporters argued the split would let principals focus on instruction and data‑driven curricular work rather than day‑to‑day operations. The superintendent said the assistant principal would also “assume the authority to do your daily behavioral management on both sides of the house” and relieve principals so they can perform instructional observations and curriculum leadership.
Board members pressed for clarity on special‑education oversight, compliance with IEP timelines, and whether the new secondary principal could sustain responsibilities that previously generated tuition revenue. Presenters said the district would hire qualified candidates and leverage trained school psychologists, guidance counselors and social workers as CSE chairs to share the workload and protect the district’s out‑of‑district placement relationships.
On the fiscal side, the administration proposed using targeted reserve appropriations and projected state aid to absorb much of the cost. Presenters summarized revenue assumptions including building aid at roughly 90%, transportation aid at about 90% and typical BOCES reimbursements near 77%. The presentation estimated a net budget increase of approximately $253,000 — roughly a 1.9% increase — driven by new positions, negotiated step increases and higher health‑care costs. The draft also contemplates appropriating a little over $1,000,000 from fund balance while keeping the reserve near 18%, within state guidelines.
The board was given a schedule to finalize the budget: a final review and adoption vote is expected at the March 10 meeting when the board will also set the official tax levy and review propositions and the reserve plan.
The district will continue refining line items and personnel costs ahead of the public hearing and the March adoption vote.
