Carmel Central board hears public questions about budget, UPK shortfall and rising health costs

The Carmel Central School District board on March 10 received pointed public comment and detailed fiscal updates from district staff about next year’s budget, including a $230,000 shortfall related to Universal Pre-K (UPK) and larger health-insurance cost increases.

Resident Jerry Lee Stormville told the board he reviewed district documents and said fund-balance figures showed “leftover” amounts in recent years and pressed officials to explain what is driving an $8 million year‑to‑year increase in the total spending picture. He identified a $230,000 UPK shortfall and said the board was covering it this year by reallocating funds including $80,000 from asbestos projects and $136,000 from a director’s salary line that remained vacant. “If we didn’t have them last year and the money’s still sitting there, we probably don’t need them this year,” Stormville said.

Assistant Superintendent Mr. Silver confirmed the director of facilities position was vacant after the prior director left; that originally budgeted salary line is being used this year to address the UPK shortfall, and the district does not plan to include the same line in next year’s budget because civil‑service guidance allowed a different title and lower cost going forward.

At the superintendent’s budget briefing, Dr. Silva and other administrators said they recently learned health‑insurance costs will rise next year, with the medical portion up roughly 9.5 percent and prescription costs increasing in the low double digits. Dr. Silva said the district currently anticipates total health‑insurance costs near $31 million for the coming year and that taxpayers bear most of the increase.

District leaders described other offsets: debt service is decreasing as older bonds fall off and capital projects were limited in the proposed budget, freeing about $850,000 in capacity. Officials also noted a repair reserve funded after an auditor reclassification increased the fund balance by $3 million, allowing designated repair dollars to be used for equipment needs.

Board members asked about personnel strategies to hold costs down. Mr. Silver said the administration is evaluating attrition and potential restructuring after several planned retirements and expects some savings where higher‑paid retirees are replaced by lower‑step hires. Trustees also asked for comparative analyses—particularly on the cost/benefit of re‑establishing a float nurse versus continuing contract nurse coverage and on multi‑district (BOCES) technology contracts—and administration agreed to return with figures.

The board did not take a final vote on a tax levy at the meeting; trustees discussed options and asked staff for more detail on the next budget iteration. The superintendent said a revised budget will be presented in two weeks, followed by the superintendent’s recommended budget to the full board.