Jamesville-DeWitt proposes $74.96 million budget; vote set for May 19

The Jamesville-DeWitt Board of Education presented its proposed 2026–27 budget of $74,962,459 at the annual meeting and budget hearing on May 11. Administrators said the package reduces spending by about $365,000 from the prior year while aiming to maintain student programming and adhere to the statutory tax cap.

The presenters described the district’s budget process, emphasizing a line-by-line review and examples of cost savings such as eliminating a $16,000 report-card printing contract and replacing an $18,000 survey subscription with an in-house tool. Officials said the district expects a tax levy amount of $47,462,997 under the state formula — a 2.63% cap — and noted that state aid remains uncertain while New York’s budget had still not been finalized.

“We have been working on this since August,” one presenter said, describing monthly and weekly work with committees and administrators. The presentation listed drivers increasing costs, including commercial insurance (+13%), utilities (+18%) and a projected 10% rise in health insurance.

Administrators said staffing adjustments would be aligned to enrollment trends: the budget assumes roughly 16 teaching FTE reductions (15 through attrition, 1 district-wide instructional change) and 16 teaching-assistant FTE changes (5 attrition, 11 reductions in force), tied to an approximate 12% enrollment decline over the past decade. Officials emphasized those reductions were intended to avoid cutting direct classroom programming.

The next step: voters will decide on the budget on May 19, when polls are open 8 a.m.–9 p.m. in the high school gymnasium.