Suffern board reviews budget workshop with two tax-levy options; transportation, BOCES and Regeneron discussed

The Suffern Central School District Board of Education spent its March 3 meeting on a second budget presentation that laid out projected revenues and expenses and two tax-levy options for 2026–27.

Dr. Castellane, who led the presentation, said projected revenues are roughly $176 million and projected expenses approach $177 million, and he presented two levy scenarios: a 4.05% option that includes a $700,000 transfer to a capital reserve and a lower 3.48% option that removes that transfer. "If we end up with an extra million dollars, what we do is we look to use that for our fund balance," he said, adding that the district is constrained by voter‑directed limits on how surplus dollars may be used.

The superintendent and Dr. Castellane told the board the budget is being driven primarily by salaries and benefits, as well as external cost increases. "BOCES alone is calling for a 4 to 5% increase," Dr. Castellane said, while also flagging insurance and health-care costs rising about 10% as additional pressures. He said transportation is the district's third‑largest expense because of the number of routes, including many for nonpublic schools.

Board members pressed for more precise assumptions. "If it were the 3.48, the assessed value cost would be $7.30 per thousand," Board Member Mister Shapiro asked, requesting clear per‑$1,000 comparisons across years. Dr. Castellane responded that he would provide specific scenarios and calculations offline to avoid confusing viewers and to ensure accuracy.

On revenue-side changes, Dr. Castellane said Regeneron — which had been on a PILOT arrangement — will be moving onto the tax rolls after assessment and should offset some costs once the assessor finalizes its valuation. He also noted that Manhattan Beer Distributors is proposing a new PILOT that could affect assessments. "The town assessor has to assess that property…and then that company will then join the taxpayers," Dr. Castellane said.

Transportation costs were discussed in detail. Dr. Castellane said the district ran an RFP for general transportation that reduced a potential 17–20% year‑over‑year increase to an overall increase of approximately 9.9% under the Chestnut Ridge contract, and he described the district's options to re‑bid or extend contracts and to incorporate CPI adjustments.

The board set a next budget workshop for April 21 and was told the administration will return with refined staffing assumptions, route projections, and per‑$1,000 tax comparisons so members can decide whether to include the $700,000 capital transfer or pursue the lower levy. "Between now and then, I'm going to wait for direction from… the board of education to review this presentation, come up with any questions, and provide us with the direction as far as where we would like to go regarding the budget and the tax levy," Dr. Castellane said.

The board received the presentation and asked for follow‑up detail; no final budget adoption occurred at this meeting.