White Plains board adopts proposed $≈285M 2026–27 budget within 1.6% tax cap, schedules public vote May 19

The White Plains City School District Board of Education voted to approve the district’s recommended 2026–27 budget and to put the proposal before voters on May 19, the superintendent (Speaker 3) said at the board’s April 13 meeting.

The board’s recommended plan totals about $285,000,000 and remains within the district’s legal tax-levy cap of 1.6%, a limit the administration says translates to roughly a $3.3 million allowable increase. “The great news in this budget is that every single one of our children's programs … is included and supported in this budget plus expansion and addition,” the superintendent (Speaker 3) said, adding the plan includes no layoffs and protects extracurricular and instructional offerings.

Finance staff (Speaker 15) told the board that the district’s revenue mix has shifted over the last decade, with real property taxes now covering roughly 74% of appropriations (down from about 86% in earlier years) while state aid and local revenues account for roughly 26%. The administration highlighted an ongoing revenue pressure from Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreements, estimating about $1.3 million in assessments removed from the tax roll this year and urging continued advocacy for a statutory carve‑out so school aid and tax-cap mechanics operate as intended.

On the spending side, administrators said approximately 75% of expenditures will go directly to curriculum and instruction. Staffing proposals in the recommended budget include modest additions funded from existing resources (for example, 0.2 FTE added to dance and targeted special-education staff increases); the administration said vacancies are anticipated to be filled and that the budget uses reserves to smooth pension contribution changes (about $1.1 million from retirement reserve for TRS and $500,000 for ERS adjustments).

Officials also highlighted savings from favorable contract bids on a recent capital project (reducing planned borrowing from $60 million to about $50 million and lowering projected interest costs) and described health‑insurance cost management through a consortium that produced a composite premium increase lower than market assumptions.

Board members approved the motion to adopt the recommended budget and several related action items during the same meeting, including authorization for the board president to execute an amendment to the employment agreement of Tammy Cosgrove (interim assistant superintendent for human resources), establishment and abolition of certain pedagogical and non‑pedagogical positions funded through internal reallocations, approval of an overnight field trip for the high school orchestra and band to Portland, Maine, acceptance of principal Laura Mungeon’s retirement effective Sept. 1, 2026, and a memorandum of agreement with the White Plains Teachers Association.

Votes at the meeting on these items were recorded by voice; motions were made and seconded and the board answered in the affirmative when asked “All in favor?” The administration emphasized community participation for the public vote: polls will be open May 19 from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a public budget hearing scheduled for May 11.

The superintendent closed the presentation by urging voters to participate and offering district contacts (Budget@wpcsd.us) and a QR code to find polling locations. The board adjourned after routine committee reports and approvals.

This article is based on remarks and motions recorded in the April 13 board meeting.