Interim Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Rabe presents West Seneca’s $156.0M 2024–25 budget, 1.95% tax-levy increase

Interim Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Rabe presented the West Seneca Central School District’s proposed 2024–25 budget, saying it would increase spending 5.5% from the prior year to about $156.0 million and would raise the tax levy by 1.95% to $69,966,619 if adopted.

Rabe said the proposal is designed to balance taxpayer interests and students’ needs while maintaining current elementary class sizes, regular instructional programs, transportation, student-support services (including literacy, numeracy and mandated academic intervention), and interscholastic athletics and co-curricular activities. “The proposed 2024–25 school budget includes an increase in spending of 5.5% from last year's school budget for a total budget of $156,020,575,” Rabe said.

He told listeners the district faces several fiscal pressures, including the expiration of pandemic-related grants totaling $4,800,000 and what he described as an erosion of purchasing power under the state tax-levy limit. Rabe said final 2024 state aid is $64,894,676 and that anticipated foundation-aid reductions total $578,399. He listed key cost…