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Eden Central board hears deep dive on expenditures; reserves and tax-levy options eyed to close $1.5M gap
Summary
District finance staff outlined expenditure trends for the 2026–27 budget: salary increases tied to contracts and retirements (~$328,000), projected tuition and BOCES cost increases, and proposed use of roughly $1.35M in reserves; the board will discuss tax-levy choices and further reserve use at the next workshop.
Presenter (budget staff) opened "budget session number 3" and framed a deep dive into expenditure trends as the district prepares the 2026–27 budget. The presentation highlighted that 2023–24 and 2024–25 are actuals while 2025–26 and 2026–27 are budgeted figures; the district must close a projected budget gap currently estimated in the meeting materials at roughly $1.5 million depending on levy choices and reserve use.
"So overall about a $328,000 increase year to year," the presenter stated when discussing salary line changes, attributing the rise to contractual increases and 'breakage' tied to retirements. Presenter also noted a roughly $50,000 increase in equipment and supplies (including continuity of a robotics curriculum), an estimated $176,000 increase in tuition for students placed in outside special-education settings, and an anticipated BOCES-related increase (roughly $600,000, with about $500,000 attributable to tuition payments to BOCES). Benefits were projected to increase about $263,000, while TRS employer-contribution levels were forecast to decrease, partly offsetting costs. Presenter said the district expects to use approximately $1,350,000 of reserves allocated across employee benefit accrued liabilities and other reserves; with separate bus purchases that use capital reserves, total reserve drawdown could be about $1.9 million.
Board members asked clarifying questions about whether 'breakage' includes replacement hires (presenter said replacements for retirees are currently included) and how much of the district's capital-reserve balance (~$5.9 million) is already committed to the current capital project (presenter: about $3.65 million). Presenter described options for the tax levy (0% shown in the materials; other scenarios up to a 2.52% levy were presented) and the need for a follow-up workshop to decide levy level and comfortable reserve use before the May budget vote.
The board scheduled an in-depth budget workshop for March 23 and noted the public hearing on the budget on May 11 and the budget vote on May 19.
