Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Schenectady budget hearing: district proposes roughly $15 million increase but says no tax-levy hike for eighth year
Summary
At a May 6 public hearing, the district presented a proposed 2026–27 budget that increases spending by about $15 million (roughly 4.5%) while maintaining staffing and pledging no tax-levy increase; the May 19 ballot will also include three property-related propositions for voter approval.
The Schenectady City School District presented its proposed 2026–27 budget at a public hearing on May 6, with Chief Financial Officer Terry Gillooie saying the plan raises total spending by about $15,000,000 — roughly 4.5% — while keeping existing staff and programs intact and, for the eighth consecutive year, proposing no increase to the tax levy.
Gillooie said the budget is organized into the required administrative, programmatic and capital components and that the district has published a line-by-line budget booklet and an online transparency report accessible by QR code. "We discussed all the various parts of the budget, the changes, the increases," Gillooie said, adding that the public materials and budget booklets are available at district buildings and public libraries.
The district also described three other propositions that will appear with the budget on the May 19 ballot: authorization to purchase 1080 Catalina Street for operations and maintenance/storage; purchase of the Eddy Knott Terrace (the former Clarkson building) to replace leased adult-education/program space; and approval of a 20-year lease for 433 State Street with annual escalators not to exceed 1.5% and rent not to exceed $220,000 in the first year.
On Catalina Street, board members pressed for details about interior repairs and parking. Gillooie said the district is reviewing necessary improvements — including heating and ventilation work — and that a district repair reserve (noted as about $2,000,000 at the end of the last fiscal year) could be used to fund modifications. He said much of the work could be handled in-house and that the district could arrange a tour before the vote.
Gillooie reviewed revenue assumptions, including state-aid figures drawn from the state database as of February, and said the district does not expect major changes to those figures. He also noted fund-balance and vacancy-savings assumptions that help the district sustain programs without raising taxes. The district reiterated vote logistics: eight polling locations open from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on May 19 and guidance on options if the budget fails (resubmit, present a revised budget or adopt a contingent budget with constrained spending authority).
The board did not take a formal vote on the budget at the May 6 hearing; the budget referendum is scheduled for May 19.
