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SCOTIA-GLENVILLE — It’s unclear how Scotia-Glenville Central School District plans to close a $2.8 million budget gap following Monday’s board of education meeting, where a majority of members said they would prefer to stay below the state-mandated property tax cap and preserve all academic programming.
Whether those two desires both come to fruition remains to be seen. Superintendent Susan Swartz has previously warned that a budget at or below the cap could result in “staff reductions” as the district grapples with growing costs that have exceeded increases in projected revenue for the 2025-26 academic year.
More than a dozen community members, including district teachers, attended the meeting at the Scotia-Glenville Middle School. Many spoke about the need to preserve academic programming during a public comment period and called for board members to find a way to ensure educators have the tools they need to do their jobs.
Among those who spoke was Sarah Hoffman, president of the Scotia-Glenville teachers union, who criticized district officials for not being more transparent about budget woes. Hoffman said many learned of the deficit and possibility of staff reductions through media reports.
“It’s no secret that we’re in a tough financial position,” she said. “The budget deficit looms large and, while tough decisions must be made, we must remember that consequences of those decisions will impact the very foundation of our educational system.”
But it’s unclear how the district plans to proceed following the meeting, which was delayed after illness prevented the school board from having a quorum at a scheduled meeting a week ago.
Some board members suggested on Monday engaging teachers and building administrators on what, if any, programs should be slashed. Others suggested thoroughly examining the hundreds of line items to determine if there are small things that can be eliminated before larger cuts are made.
“All those pennies that we can cut and save in those line items are going to start to add up,” said Kimberly Talbot, the board’s vice president. “If we can save teachers and not print so much, or save teachers and not utilize a certain recycling center, contracts and looking at those smaller negotiations is something negotiable for me completely.”
At one point, Swartz brought up shuttering an elementary school amid declining enrollment to reduce costs, though she noted such a move was not something she recommends pursuing at this time.
District officials revealed the budget deficit at a school board meeting last month, where it was announced the cost to maintain all current programming would be just over $69 million, an increase of $4.1 million, or 6.33%, compared to the current 2024-25 spending plan.
A bulk of the new spending can be attributed to a 17%, or $1.7 million, increase in medical benefits, which Andrew Giaquinto, the district's business manager, said can be attributed to rising prescription costs for specialty weight-loss medications like Ozempic.
The district is also facing an increase of just over $1 million for out-of-district special education costs, a 40% increase compared to the current academic year. Salary and wages — which are negotiated through the collective bargaining process — are also expected to grow by an additional $1.1 million, or 4%.
The district is also facing a $416,727 drop in revenue from payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements and an additional $35,000 decrease in revenue from reserves and interest.
On the plus side, the district is expecting a 2.54%, or $630,396, increase in state aid and can increase its tax levy — or amount raised by property taxes — by just over $1 million, the maximum allowed under the current property tax cap of 3.25%.
Giaquinto said a gap at this point in the budget-making process isn't uncommon, but noted that the $2.8 million deficit the district faces this year far exceeds years past.
“We normally see a gap at this time, but nothing like this,” he said.
To preserve all current services, the district would have to increase its tax levy by 11.79%, according to an analysis by Giaquinto.
Such an increase would lead to a 10% hike in the tax rate, increasing the annual school tax bill for a home with an assessed value of $160,000 by $395. A home with an assessed value of $200,000 would see a $494 increase.
It's unclear how large of a tax increase the district will propose going forward.
The budget gap comes as the district continues to face a declining enrollment and as many Americans continue to express concerns about the growing cost of living. Economists are also raising concerns about the possibility of rising prices due to recently implemented tariffs on the federal level.
The village of Scotia, which shares a similar tax base with the school district, is also in the early stages of putting together a spending plan for its upcoming fiscal year that begins on June 1. Village lawmakers have introduced legislation to exceed the tax cap, but the mayor has said it’s unclear at this point if such a move will be necessary.
Unlike local governments, school districts must have their budgets approved by voters during an annual referendum. Any spending plan that exceeds the state cap requires a 60% majority of votes for approval.
Swartz said that officials have discussed the possibility of closing one of its four elementary schools in order to save on costs.
Such a move, Swartz said, is not something she is looking to do this year. She instead floated the idea of appointing a special committee to examine the future of its elementary schools during the upcoming academic year and taking further action during the 2026-27 school year.
“At the rate we see our decline in enrollment, one of the ways we can close part of that budget gap clearly would be to close a school. That’s not my top priority,” Swartz said.
The district's current enrollment is 2,109 students, a 16.2% drop compared to the 2,517 students enrolled during the 2014-15 academic year, according to state data.
Several residents who spoke during Monday night's meeting urged the school board to reduce the number of administrators to save on costs. Others pointed to eliminating an athletic trainer to save money. It’s unclear whether such moves will be pursued.
Swartz asked board members to list their negotiable and non-negotiable items in order to aid in the budget-making process, which is expected to continue in the coming weeks.
Several board members advocated for preserving mental health services in the wake of the COVID pandemic and continuing the school resource officers program. Others lobbied for preserving the arts.
Board member Emily Orr said she didn't feel comfortable giving such information, and suggested the board engage with teachers and administrators to compile a list of recommendations.
"I just feel like it's almost, for a lack of a better term, just irresponsible for me to sit here and say this is my negotiables and my non-negotiables without talking to the people who are the ones really doing it on a day-to-day basis," she said.
Chad Roberts, who was elected to the board last May, said his goal is to preserve academics. Everything else, he said, is up for debate.
“What isn’t negotiable for me is the education we’re providing for the kids, the curriculum, the people that are delivering that curriculum,” Roberts said. “Those are non-negotiables to me.”
Pressed about whether to exceed the tax cap, a majority of the board said they wish to remain below the cap, but would be willing to exceed it in order to preserve academic programming.
Board president Harold Talbot and vice president Kimberly Talbot both said they would support a budget that goes up to the maximum tax cap of 3.25%.
Harold Talbot said he did not want to see any cuts at this time, noting it was still early in the budget process. He noted that the district has faced deficits in years past that shrink “like a magic wand is waved” following hours of work by Giaquinto and other administrators.
“To me right now, nothing is negotiable. I want everything. I’m that guy, I’m sorry,” he said. “I want what’s best for our staff. Our staff works their butts off, and I want what’s best for our students. I think this is a great place and I just want it to keep getting better. That’s why I’m here, that’s why I do this.”
