Fairport Central School District proposes $172.29M budget, seeks voter approval to buy buses and create capital reserve

Fairport Central School District Superintendent Brett Provenzano and Assistant Superintendent for Business Jeremy Nardone presented the district’s proposed 2026–27 budget on May 5, saying rising benefits, health-insurance costs and inflation are the primary budget pressures and that the district is recommending a plan that officials say balances services with fiscal restraint.

The proposed total budget is $172,287,859, a 4.18% increase from the prior year. Officials said program spending remains the largest share of the budget (roughly 74.08%), administrative costs account for about 11.44%, and capital makes up roughly 14.5%. Nardone identified employee benefits and health insurance increases (noting a roughly 5.63% rise in that category) as major drivers of the overall increase.

Provenzano said the district used attrition and targeted reassignments to limit layoffs: consolidations reduced one full-time administrator position and several other positions were not filled, while academic intervention specialists and some counselors will return to classroom or building-level assignments to preserve mandated services. Administrators also described program reductions including a curtailed middle‑school summer school and other targeted cuts intended to preserve classroom instruction.

Nardone outlined capital needs across the district’s 12 buildings and presented a bus-purchase plan: the district would acquire seven large buses and two small buses, trade in eight existing units, and apply $185,000 from its capital bus-purchase reserve toward the purchase. After trade‑ins and reserve use he said the net bus purchase cost shown in the budget is just over $1.6 million.

Officials also asked voters to authorize creation of a 2026 capital reserve: the proposed language would allow the district to establish a capital reserve with a maximum of $25 million plus accrued interest and a 15‑year term to fund future projects. Both the bus-reserve expenditure and the capital-reserve authorization are scheduled to appear as voter propositions on the May 19 ballot, Nardone said.

Administrators reviewed anticipated revenue sources and aid timing. The presentation showed total aid up by roughly 5.3% (about $2.8 million), with building aid expected to offset a portion of debt service for capital projects. Nardone and Provenzano emphasized that assessment increases do not automatically provide the district additional revenue; instead changes in equalization and tax rates affect homeowners differently and the district collects only its adopted levy.

Superintendent Provenzano framed the budget around district goals — student learning, facilities upkeep, safety and fiscal sustainability — and urged residents to review the materials and attend the May 19 vote and board election at Joanna Parent Middle School. “We believe this is a really sound budget,” he said during the presentation.

Next step: the district’s budget and two voter propositions will appear on the May 19 ballot; the hearing closed after public comment and officials reminded voters of the polling hours and location.