Oakfield-Alabama board reviews $26.99 million budget, outlines 4% levy proposal and contingency cuts

At a regularly scheduled meeting, the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District board heard a final budget workshop presenting a proposed $26,999,528 budget that includes a requested 4% tax-levy increase and the use of fund balance and reserves to balance revenue and expenditures.

The budget presenter summarized the package, saying, "Our proposed budget is $26,999,528," and explained the revenue side shows a large increase in state aid largely driven by building aid tied to capital projects. The package would also separate bus purchases onto their own ballot question: two small buses and one large bus at a projected total of $443,000, with the first debt payment beginning in the 2027–28 fiscal year so no new debt service is added this year.

Board members stressed the stakes if the budget fails. The presenter warned that under a contingent budget the district would need to cut roughly $227,865 — the same magnitude as the requested 4% levy — and that would eliminate equipment purchases (about $81,000), further reduce staffing and remove capital outlay. The presenter said a contingent budget also could require charging facility-use fees and make field trips self-funded.

One board member pressed for clearer, voter-facing visuals comparing what taxpayers paid last year with what they would pay this year, noting the practical difference between the proposed levy and the contingent scenario. Another member highlighted continuing uncertainty in final state aid, saying the district is working with estimated figures until the state posts final runs later this spring.

A board member urged community support for the budget package, noting recent staff reductions and rising insurance and utility costs: "This is using a lot of fund balance and reserves," the member said, and added that passing the levy would make next year less painful than adopting a contingent budget.

The board was reminded of next steps: a public budget hearing scheduled for May 12 at 6 p.m. and the annual budget vote set for May 19 (polls open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.). The presenter also invited questions via the district budget email if residents wanted more detail ahead of the hearing.

What happens next: the district will present a voter-facing breakdown at the May 12 hearing and proceed to the public vote on May 19. The board and administrators emphasized the possibility that final state-aid figures could alter the district's reliance on reserves but warned those figures are not guaranteed.