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Shenendehowa board hears $234 million budget proposal, 2.52% tax-levy increase explained
Summary
Interim Superintendent Dr. Wilson Turner presented a proposed $234 million 2026–27 budget — a roughly $11 million (about 5%) increase — with a 2.52% tax-levy increase aligned to the tax cap; he outlined staffing needs, capital projects and reserve changes.
Dr. Wilson Turner, the district’s interim superintendent, presented the Shenendehowa Central School District’s proposed 2026–27 budget on March 17, calling for a $234,000,000 spending plan that represents roughly an $11,000,000 (about 5%) increase over the current year and a 2.52% tax-levy increase under the state tax-cap formula.
Turner said the proposal is driven by instructional and operational priorities and framed fiscal responsibility as a district goal. He told the board the district expects about 31% of revenue to come from state aid and roughly 63% from the tax levy. The presentation included planned increases to reserves (a $600,000 increase for ERS and maintaining TRS at $725,000) and a $1,500,000 planned general-fund appropriation to support the budget footprint.
The budget narrative highlighted two major capital efforts: an $85,000,000 capital project now in phase 1 that includes HVAC upgrades for the middle school, and preparations to open the Trio satellite/full-day kindergarten program in September. Turner said some previously grant-funded positions will move into the general fund as grants end, and the district is budgeting for roughly 63 additional staff positions overall to support expanded services and program needs.
Turner walked members through the expenditure columns that produced the draft — including contractual increases, department requests and adjustments for retirements and federal grants — and noted strategic reductions in one-time equipment spending and instructional resources based on prior large purchases. He said those shifts produced about a 16% reduction in one resource line without reducing programming.
Board members pressed for details about transitional aid tied to the district’s Trio/Atria planning; one member asked whether the presentation’s pink expenditure column reflected $3,100,000 of transitional aid from Atria. Turner confirmed that the aid is reflected in the state-aid line on the revenue side and that the expenditure slides intentionally display gross expenditures so members could see program costs separately from offsetting revenues.
Turner also outlined the budget outreach schedule: absentee ballots will be mailed beginning April 20 and the budget vote is set for May 19, with a series of community “budget roadshow” meetings planned between mid-April and May to explain the proposal to PTA groups and community organizations.
The study-session presentation was informational; no formal budget adoption vote occurred at this meeting. The board will consider final adoption and the public vote in the coming weeks.
