HOOSIC VALLEY board reviews $25.23 million budget that would raise tax levy 8.5% and send proposition to voters

The HOOSIC VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT board spent a large portion of its meeting reviewing a proposed $25,227,546 expenditure budget for the 2026–27 school year that would require an 8.5% increase in the district tax levy and be presented to voters on the May ballot.

District finance staff told trustees the proposed levy exceeds the statutory 3% tax-cap limit and therefore will require approval by 60% of voters in the May proposition. The presentation said the budget includes reduced withdrawals from savings and a planned appropriation of approximately $87,000 from unassigned fund balance; it also relies in part on a debt-service reserve projected to total roughly $685,000 at year end.

Why it matters: An 8.5% levy increase would generate an estimated $785,000 in additional revenue but—according to the district presentation—would still close less than half of a roughly $2 million gap between projected revenues and expenditures. Presenters emphasized the scale of the budget gap and the limited remaining nonprogram expenditure cuts available without significant impacts to student programming.

During the review staff said the district benefited this year from an unexpected $500,000 prescription-plan refund that boosted reserves; board members and staff cautioned that boost is unlikely to recur and warned the district should not count on it as ongoing revenue. The presentation recommended a communications push to ensure consistent messaging to families and the public and confirmed the district’s budget hearing is scheduled for May 7 and the budget vote for May 19.

Board procedure and next steps: The board reviewed the ballot language that will appear with the proposition and discussed outreach channels (email, district news, Facebook, library distribution) to explain the reason for the levy above the cap and to answer voter questions before the hearing and vote. Staff repeatedly warned that the only formal voter action can occur on the May ballot and urged trustees to direct community questions to staff as the district prepares materials.

The presentation included a summary of projected reserve and fund-balance items and noted the district will not include a separate bus-purchase proposition on the ballot for 2026–27; staff said they expect to earmark any operating surplus toward a bus purchase reserve in anticipation of future transportation mandates.

The board did not take a recorded roll-call vote on the budget during the portion of the audio captured here; staff and trustees focused on reviewing ballot language, projected impacts, outreach and schedule ahead of the May hearing and vote.