The Onteora Central School District Board of Education agreed to increase its 2026-27 budget by 4.5% to $66.5 million, citing increased costs, and will seek voter approval on May 19.
The spending plan, which covers the fiscal year from July 1 to June 30, is about $2.89 million more than this year’s budget.
The budget also includes $20,000 in annual support for five public libraries, an amount approved by voters in 1988 that has remained unchanged for 38 years. The library funding is not part of the proposed budget increase.
The district projects $62.5 million of revenue next year. The largest share would come from the tax levy, which is expected to rise to $50.6 million from $49.4 million, and it also expects $8 million of foundation aid, $2.7 million of other help, $1 million of miscellaneous revenue, and $72,000 in other tax items.
Instruction accounts for $29.7 million, or 44.7%, of total spending, while employee benefits total $22.1 million, or 33.3%. Transportation is budgeted at $6.1 million and operations and maintenance will cost about $3,860,000.
Budget materials say the district plans to maintain academic and extracurricular programming, staffing aligned with enrollment, counseling and mental health support, special education services, support for English-language learners, professional learning for staff, technology infrastructure, and curriculum materials aligned with state standards.
Among the initiatives highlighted for 2026-27 is a plan to strengthen early literacy instruction by adopting a phonics resource aligned with science of reading research. It also includes funding for staffing of a new middle/high school security vestibule.
The proposal also includes capital work. District materials show a $1.75 million transfer to capital, including an additional $1 million for an elevator project. The work is slated to include middle/high school elevator repairs, high school hallway asbestos removal and ceiling replacement, and demolition and replacement of the middle school gym floor to complete the gym renovation.
Other listed projects include refurbishing flooring in the school counseling suite and learning center, repairing the server room and paving and roof repairs where possible.
Budget documents say the district would use a fund balance to help close the gap between projected revenues and expenditures. The materials list a one-time appropriated fund balance of $1 million and an additional appropriated fund balance of $1.9 million.
Voters will decide on the proposal during the district’s annual budget vote and board election on May 19 at Onteora Middle/High School. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. A public budget hearing is scheduled for May 5, and a revote, if necessary, is scheduled for June 16.
Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.