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Sweet Home board adopts $108.6 million budget, approves staffing shifts and appointments
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Summary
The Sweet Home Central School District board approved a $108,608,147 2026-27 budget and consent agenda including personnel recommendations. Administrators said the plan uses retirements and targeted shifts to close a remaining gap, while parents and teachers pressed to preserve arts programming.
The Sweet Home Central School District Board of Education on April 21 approved a $108,608,147 budget for the 2026-27 school year and passed a consent agenda covering personnel appointments, contracts and related items.
Superintendent Dr. Genestri and business office official Don (Mister) Feldman presented the budget as a balanced plan that represents a 2.87% increase year over year and a recommended tax-levy increase of 3.3%. "We are presenting to you tonight a balanced budget of $108,608,147," Dr. Genestri said, noting the district had built in a 2% foundation-aid increase and projected roughly $5.8 million in Erie County sales-tax revenue for 2026-27.
Feldman described revenue drivers and a set of tax-cap exclusions the board was asked to authorize, including the planned purchase of 10 buses: four large electric buses, three large diesel buses and smaller vehicles for specialized routes. He said federal and state grants have reduced the district's expected out-of-pocket cost for electric buses to about $164,965 per bus, down from a sticker price of roughly $464,000. "We've worked very hard to obtain grant funding from the EPA and NYSERDA," Feldman said.
Administrators described steps taken to close a remaining budget gap without layoffs: instituting retirement incentives in prior years, converting some contracted OT/PT services to in-house positions, consolidating a small number of elementary sections and using attrition. Dr. Genestri said the district expects to add two special-education elementary classrooms and to make targeted staffing adjustments at higher grade levels. "Retirements have given us an opportunity to address high needs without laying off staff," he said.
The consent agenda (items A–L) included the budget adoption, special-education and preschool placements, monthly financial reports, bids for supplies and uniforms, Erie 1 BOCES items, disposal of obsolete property, capital outlay and project-related contracts and reports. A motion to approve the consent agenda was moved and seconded and passed by voice vote.
Also on the agenda were personnel recommendations that the board was asked to approve as part of the consent items: the superintendent recommended Marissa Doria as the next Sweet Home High School principal and Lindsay Marceonelli as director of special programs; the administration said a process to fill the resulting openings would begin if the hires are approved.
Administrators reminded the board and the public of key upcoming dates: a public budget hearing May 5 (in conjunction with a meet-the-candidates night) and the annual budget vote and school-board election on Tuesday, May 19. The district also must file a property-tax report card by April 27 and complete internal board actions by the established state deadlines.
The board moved on from the budget to a set of informational reports on student activities and building-level events and then adjourned without executive session.
