Superintendent lays out 2026–27 instructional budget draft and state policy risks; board to finalize levy and aid scenarios

At its March 10 meeting, the Caledonia‑Mumford Central School District board received the second instructional budget presentation for 2026–27 from Superintendent Dr. Chanel, who called the figures preliminary and said the administration will continue refining estimates as state budget actions are finalized.

Key numbers and priorities: the draft shows a requested year‑over‑year increase in the instruction line of roughly $446,271 (about 3.81%), funding items the superintendent described as priorities: full‑day universal pre‑K, increased special education supports, lunch monitors to free teacher time, and a proposed STEM teacher at the middle/high school.

Dr. Chanel said the district is projecting a $366,000 increase in foundation aid under the governor’s proposed budget, which has put the district in a stronger short‑term position than many New York districts that would otherwise see near‑flat aid increases. She cautioned that foundation aid can plateau and that the board should plan to sustain programs over multiple years.

"One percent on our tax levy only gives us $80,000," she told the board when explaining tax‑levy math; the district’s calculated tax cap shown in the presentation was roughly 1.9684%. Board members requested year‑over‑year foundation aid figures (one board member requested 10 years) so they can model multi‑year scenarios before finalizing levy recommendations.

State and federal policy items discussed: • Tier 6 pension reform: Dr. Chanel summarized state debate over restoring earlier pension tiers and said district costs to change tier rules could be material for local budgets; she cited statewide cost estimates read aloud during the meeting. • Full‑day pre‑K mandate: The governor’s proposal includes a full‑day pre‑K mandate (noted in the presentation as applying in 2028–29) and increased pre‑K aid (up to $10,000 per student), which will affect districts differently depending on space and capital capacity. • Electric bus waiver: The superintendent said progress on an electric‑bus mandate has paused; Caledonia‑Mumford will pursue a two‑year waiver and monitor whether adding an electric bus to a budget vote would be necessary to qualify for points under a waiver program. • Federal voucher tax credit (SGOs): The district discussed potential impact of scholarship‑granting organizations (SGOs) that provide dollar‑for‑dollar tax credits to donors; Dr. Chanel said the district’s leadership is tracking proposals and considering whether to form or partner with an SGO if that federal policy advances.

Next steps and calendar: Dr. Chanel asked the board to expect a refined budget at the next meeting and noted the district timeline: target adoption April 14, BOCES vote April 27, public hearing May 12 and budget vote May 19. She said administration will present modeled levy/aid options so the board can set a comfortable community‑facing levy level.

Board response: Members probed the sustainability of new positions (for example, whether a STEM teacher could be maintained in years two and three) and asked for more granular aidability and multi‑year projections. The superintendent said she has been shifting some salaries to aidable BOCES lines where appropriate to generate revenue and may present those moves in the next budget workshop.