Voters in the Watkins Glen Central School District will decide May 19 on a proposed $33.3 million budget for the 2026-27 school year that district officials say preserves existing programs while keeping the tax levy increase below the state limit.
The proposed budget totals $33,319,335, an increase of approximately $1.89 million, or 5.99%, over the current year’s spending plan. District leaders cited rising contractual salary costs, employee benefits, GST BOCES services and inflationary pressures among the primary drivers behind the increase.
District officials said the proposal relies on a combination of state aid, reserves and a modest tax levy increase to maintain current educational programming and services. The district expects a roughly 1% increase in Foundation Aid under Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget proposal.
The proposed tax levy would increase by $185,000, or 1.69%, which is below the district’s allowable levy limit of 3.29%. Officials said the estimated districtwide tax rate would rise from $8.67 to $8.80 per $1,000 of assessed property value. For a home assessed at $200,000, the increase is projected at about $26 annually before STAR exemptions.
The district’s program component makes up the largest share of the budget at nearly 72%, totaling about $23.9 million. The spending plan maintains current staffing levels and includes continued funding for Advanced Placement testing at no cost to students, athletics programs, Career and Technical Education offerings, school resource officer services, free elementary school supplies and the district’s one-to-one student device program.
The budget also continues support for three world language offerings — Spanish, American Sign Language and Mandarin — along with college access programming, social and emotional support services and manageable elementary class sizes.
Voters will also decide a separate proposition authorizing the district to lease three new 66-passenger diesel buses at a cost not to exceed $120,000 annually for up to five years.
Three seats on the Board of Education are up for election. Candidates include Tracey VanSkiver, Astra Titus and Alexander Gill.
Voting will take place from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, in the Watkins Glen High School Board of Education Room.
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