The board of education voted April 22 to put a $96.3 million budget for 2025-2026 before district voters on May 20. The plan would boost spending 2.9% and taxes 3.48%, which equals the state-set cap on tax increases.
“I want to extend sincere thanks to the business office and all of the district staff involved in developing a thoughtful bottoms-up budget that reflects the board’s expectations, one, to remain mindful of long-term budget sustainability in light of rise in costs, and, two, to maintain the high quality programming our community has come to expect,” said Board President Jackie De Angelis.
De Angelis said the district has worked diligently to manage staffing costs. Teacher retirements resulted in a reduced headcount in the budget, saving operating costs. In the past two years, staffing has grown significantly while enrollment has remained steady, said De Angelis. However, administrative staff has increased by one position in the last ten years, which is lean compared to other districts, she said.
Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Champ said, “Instruction being the largest and employee benefits together, those representing just over 75% of the budget, which is where people are our investment, and that’s the heart of who we are and what we do.”
The budget reflects increases in salaries and benefits called for in collective bargaining agreements, in health and liability insurance costs and in transportation spending for students receiving special education services outside the district.
“We are expanding our special education, full-time staffing at the secondary level because we continue to see growth there, as well as maintaining services at Hutchinson and creating a new Kindergarten special education class,” Champ said.
The proposed budget would add a temporary part-time administrative position to handle the transition to electronic registration of students entering sixth and ninth grade.
Based on community guidance, the board had discussed the clerical post to accelerate the conversation to the electronic system.
Champ said, “Throughout this process, we’ve continued to keep the board’s guidance in mind as this was given back in October, and as we started through the process focused on these things.”
In addition to the budget, the district is asking voters to approve on May 20 four capital bond propositions totaling $143.6 million to fund repairs and renovations at several schools (Prop 1), an addition at Siwanoy Elementary School (Prop 2), an addition at Pelham Memorial High School (Prop 3) and geothermal systems for Siwanoy and Prospect Hill elementary schools (Prop 4). Proposition 1 must be adopted for the other referenda to pass, even if any of the latter three receive enough votes to win approval on their own.
Voters will decide on a separate proposition that would permit the district to spend as much as $1.85 million to purchase and renovate the house at 29 Franklin Place for office space.
In the district election, De Angelis, Board Vice President Natalie Marrero and Trustee Will Treves are running unopposed for reelection to three seats on the school board in the first uncontested school board race since 2020.
Balloting will take place in the Pelham Middle School gymnasium on May 20 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
