Voters in the Canandaigua City School District will decide next week on a proposed $97.8 million budget for the 2026-27 school year, along with separate propositions tied to school bus purchases and continued funding for the Wood Library Association.
The proposed budget totals $97,837,587, a 4.72% increase over the current year’s $93.4 million spending plan. District officials say the proposal would carry a 2.73% tax levy increase, which aligns with the district’s allowable tax cap.
According to district budget documents, program spending would account for the largest portion of the budget at more than $75.1 million, followed by $15.1 million in capital costs and $7.5 million in administrative expenses. Instructional spending, employee benefits and special education services continue to represent some of the district’s largest cost centers.
District officials said the budget process was guided by maintaining “a high quality academic experience” while continuing to prioritize district needs and manage costs through efficiencies and shared services.
The district is also planning several staffing additions, including new special education, speech and social work positions tied to a proposed 12:1:1 middle school classroom, along with a math teacher and districtwide tutoring coordinator. At the same time, officials project several retirements and reductions through attrition.
Under Proposition No. 2, voters would authorize the district to purchase diesel and gasoline-powered school buses at a maximum cost of nearly $1.88 million. The plan would use $950,000 from the district’s 2016 transportation vehicle reserve fund, with the remainder financed through bonds if necessary.
The district’s transportation reserve fund held an estimated balance of about $937,000 heading into the 2026-27 school year, according to reserve fund documents included in the budget packet.
Proposition No. 3 would continue annual funding for the Wood Library Association at $1,120,923 through a separate tax levy. The measure would allow the district to continue collecting and transferring that funding each year unless modified by future voter action. The proposal appears on the ballot separately from the main school budget.
Budget documents also show the district is projecting enrollment of 3,125 students next year, up slightly from 3,106 this year.
The proposed spending plan relies on approximately $1.99 million in appropriated reserves and fund balance under the tax cap-compliant levy scenario.
Voting will take place May 19.
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