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Eastchester superintendent proposes $117.7M budget and 7.35% tax levy to cover $1M state‑aid shortfall
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Villanueva presented a $117,729,119 FY 2026–27 budget that she said responds to a roughly $1 million reduction in state aid and rising costs; she proposed a 7.35% tax levy (2.35% allowable + 5% above allowable) and warned that remaining at the cap would force deep staff and program cuts.
Dr. Villanueva, the district superintendent, presented a proposed FY 2026–27 budget of $117,729,119 and urged the board to consider a tax levy of 7.35 percent to offset what she described as an immediate roughly $1 million cut in state aid and sharply rising costs.
The proposal, unveiled at the board meeting, would increase the district’s real‑property levy (with STAR) from $83,593,100 to $89,737,193. Dr. Villanueva said the allowable levy under current rules is 2.35 percent and that her recommendation is “to consider a levy of 5.0% over the allowable levy limit,” which corresponds to the 7.35 percent figure presented.
Why it matters: Dr. Villanueva told trustees that the district faces several concurrent budget pressures — an estimated $1 million drop in state aid, an 8.75 percent rise in health‑insurance costs, higher utility and liability premiums, and volatility in special‑education enrollments. She said those drivers would force cuts that could total an estimated $4.8–$4.9 million if the board limited the levy to the allowable 2.35 percent. “I would probably have to cut about 4.8 or 4.9 million dollars,” she said, adding that in personnel terms that could equal roughly 30 educators or other staff positions.
Budget details: The superintendent said the cabinet had already identified approximately $1.9 million in reductions and efficiencies. Additional revenue assumptions in the proposal include reimbursements equal to about 1.9 percent of the budget, an appropriated fund balance contribution of $1,740,000 (about 1.48 percent of the budget), and modest tuition and other revenue increases. Program spending would rise from roughly $84 million to $90 million under the proposal.
Household impact and next steps: Using the district’s example average home assessment of $940,000, Dr. Villanueva estimated the proposed levy would add about $84.46 per month to an average homeowner’s tax bill. Trustees asked staff to prepare additional impact scenarios for April 21, including assessments of effects on fixed‑income residents and different house values. The board set April 21 for budget adoption and May 19 for the public budget vote.
What’s next: Trustees pressed for clearer context on where cuts would fall if the board stayed at the levy cap; Dr. Villanueva said doing so would require large reductions and changes to staffing and programs. The superintendent and finance staff will return with additional slides and household impact breakdowns prior to the April 21 adoption discussion.
