Seneca County school districts are asking voters to approve nearly $138 million in combined school spending next week, as administrators across the county try to preserve programming while confronting rising healthcare costs, inflation, limited state aid growth and mounting operational pressures.
The proposals on ballots in Seneca Falls, Waterloo, South Seneca and Romulus largely stay within New York’s tax cap system, though each district is taking a different approach to balancing long-term financial stability with immediate educational needs. Some are leaning on reserves. Others are restructuring staffing or emphasizing strategic investments designed to trigger future state aid reimbursements.
Voting takes place Tuesday, May 19, with residents also deciding board races, transportation purchases and additional propositions tied to capital reserves and library funding.
Seneca Falls
Seneca Falls Central School District is proposing a $40.9 million budget for 2026-27 that carries a 1.9% tax levy increase — well below the district’s allowable levy limit of 4.39%. District officials say the spending plan maintains all current programming while continuing investments in literacy initiatives, staffing and career pathway development.
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reed and Board President Michael Mirras described the proposal as a balance between educational investment and long-term fiscal discipline. The district emphasized continued focus on academic excellence, future readiness and supportive learning environments.
The budget would increase spending from roughly $38.2 million this year to $40.9 million next year, while enrollment is projected to decline slightly from 1,212 students to 1,175. State aid is expected to account for more than 57% of district revenues.
Voters will also consider the purchase of diesel buses from the district’s capital reserve fund and elect three members to the Board of Education.
Waterloo
Waterloo Central School District is proposing the largest budget in Seneca County this year, with a $52.4 million spending plan representing a 4.83% increase over the current year. The proposed tax levy increase is 1.5%, remaining below the district’s tax cap limit of 1.78%.
Superintendent Sarah Cupelli said the district built the budget around “fiscal responsibility” while maintaining extracurricular activities and expanding opportunities for students through additional higher-level coursework and community partnerships.
Waterloo is restructuring parts of its administration as part of the proposal. The district plans to add an assistant principal position shared between Skoi-Yase Primary School and Lafayette Intermediate School while eliminating a secondary executive principal position, two dean positions and four instructional positions that will not be filled. Officials say those changes create overall cost savings while strengthening instructional leadership and school safety.
The district also highlighted strong graduation rates, expanded Advanced Placement offerings and increased career-focused programming as part of its broader pitch to voters.
In addition to the budget vote, Waterloo residents will decide four Board of Education seats, annual appropriations for the Waterloo Public Library, transportation bus purchases and a technology and equipment capital reserve proposition.
South Seneca
South Seneca Central School District is proposing a $29.4 million budget that would increase spending 4.17% year-over-year while raising the tax levy 2.26%, remaining within the allowable state tax cap.
District leaders said rising employee benefit costs, transportation expenses and capital needs were the primary drivers behind the increase. Superintendent Kyle Colunio said the proposal maintains all current programs and staffing while relying on a combination of state aid, reserves and fund balance to offset escalating costs.
South Seneca’s proposal places heavy emphasis on long-term stability and preserving instructional programming. District materials repeatedly highlighted strategic financial planning, continued capital improvements and partnerships designed to expand opportunities for students.
The district is also in the middle of a competitive and unusually public Board of Education race, with several candidates directly addressing district governance, transparency, consolidation, curriculum priorities and fiscal management in campaign statements included in district materials.
Among the recurring themes in candidate statements were concerns about shrinking budgets, expanding vocational education opportunities, regionalization efforts and maintaining extracurricular programming while staying under the tax cap.
Romulus
Romulus Central School District is proposing a $15.1 million budget for 2026-27, a 3.5% increase from the current year, alongside a proposed 3.04% tax levy increase. District officials framed the proposal as a “sustainable future” plan built around efficiency, strategic investment and long-term fiscal management.
Superintendent Jenn Hayden said the district used a zero-based budgeting approach this year, reviewing every line item to reduce waste and maximize efficiency. District officials also openly criticized New York’s state aid formula, arguing Romulus receives relatively limited aid because property values make it appear wealthier on paper despite local economic realities.
Romulus projects only a 1% increase in state aid this year and says reimbursement rates for some BOCES services are declining. In response, the district plans to continue “right-sizing” staffing through attrition and enrollment-based adjustments while aggressively pursuing grants for security upgrades and other improvements.
One of the district’s larger talking points this year is transportation. Romulus is asking voters to approve the purchase of one diesel bus and one gas-powered van while it seeks a waiver from the state’s zero-emission school bus mandate. District officials argued the move protects taxpayers from “massive costs” tied to electric vehicle requirements while still generating transportation aid reimbursement.
The district is also continuing efforts to expand agriculture education programming through a proposed regional BOCES partnership that leaders say could eventually generate additional district revenue while reinforcing Romulus’ agricultural identity.
Two Board of Education seats are also on the ballot.
Across Seneca County, the throughline in nearly every proposal is familiar: districts are trying to preserve programs, staffing and student opportunities while the cost of operating schools continues climbing faster than many traditional revenue sources. Whether voters approve those approaches Tuesday will help determine how aggressively districts may need to adjust in the years ahead.
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