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Frontier Central outlines $116.3 million budget, four propositions for May 19 vote and details electric-bus costs
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Summary
District business staff presented a proposed $116.3 million 2026-27 budget and four ballot propositions — budget authorization, a SOAR capital increase, bus purchases, and reducing the board from seven to five — and answered trustees’ questions about electric-bus costs and required infrastructure.
Dr. Thuman presented a proposed $116.3 million expenditure budget for Frontier Central School District’s 2026–27 fiscal year and outlined four propositions voters will decide at the district’s May 19 vote at the Falcon Center. "We are looking to be at a 116, million 300,000," Dr. Thuman said, summarizing the spending authorization the board will ask voters to approve.
The proposition package includes: (1) the districtwide expenditure budget authorization (the $116.3 million figure presented to the board); (2) an increase in the SOAR capital project maximum from $70 million to $75 million — funded in part by a $5 million reserve from 2023 — to complete final work in the high school and other phases; (3) a bus-purchase proposition (three additional buses plus fleet upgrades and GPS tablets); and (4) a non-budget referendum to reduce the governing board from seven to five members. Dr. Thuman said the capital-project increase would allow completion of all originally promised work while using reserves to avoid cutting planned items.
Trustees asked for details about state aid assumptions and contingencies. Dr. Thuman cautioned that building aid and foundation aid amounts from Albany remain estimates pending the state budget; he said the district is modeling a 1% foundation-aid increase in conservative scenarios and that further state aid could offset some reserve use. "So for the voters out there, all you're doing is saying yes. It's okay to increase it," he said of the capital-project authorization.
Board members also pressed the administration on the district’s transition to electric buses under pending state directives. Dr. Thuman said current manufacturer offerings and charging-range limitations complicate an immediate shift for long-route 84-passenger buses: "For a full electric e 84 passenger bus, you're talking about $375,400, and we pay about $170,000–$181,000 for one now for diesel." He added that incentives make some purchases cost-neutral now but warned that infrastructure costs are substantial — the district estimates $20 million to $25 million to upgrade electrical service and install chargers for large-scale electrification.
The presentation covered other budget-line items: a recurring annual capital-outlay authorization of up to $100,000 for small building projects (to be used this year on door/window and courtyard work at Cloverbank and LED lighting upgrades at Big Tree), and a schedule-10 allowance for camera upgrades (about $35,000 per year with state aid partially offsetting costs). Dr. Thuman said the budget presentation is the last summary before the May vote and that additional state aid numbers will be incorporated when available.
The board did not take a final vote on the district budget at the meeting; Dr. Thuman said voters will decide the propositions at the May 19 election. The administration expects to post the official instructional calendar and the district budget materials on the district website and in the Falcon Update ahead of the vote.
