NYS School Districts In Financial Limbo Because Of Late Budget

New York state lawmakers continue to negotiate a late state budget, forcing local school districts to finalize their own spending plans without knowing their exact state funding amounts. Many local school boards had to submit property tax report cards to the state on Monday, April 27, locking in proposed financial figures in time for statewide votes on May 19.

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Besides the five largest districts—New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers—state law requires school districts to put their spending plans before voters each year. For many, the difference in proposed school aid between Governor Kathy Hochul’s budget proposal and one-house budget proposals from the State Senate and Assembly represents millions of dollars.

Districts have strict legal timelines before May elections, when residents vote to approve or reject budgets—and potential tax changes—proposed locally. Most had to distribute military ballots last Friday, April 24, had to finalize their board candidates and propositions by April 21, and had until April 27 to submit “property tax report cards” to the State Education Department, based on those tentative financial plans.

Residents in the Big Five don’t get the chance to vote on their school budgets. Meanwhile, small city school districts have slightly laxer deadlines, with finalized board candidates and propositions due May 4 and military ballots due May 5. Local property taxes fund school budgets in New York. That means a shortfall or uncertainty in state funding for a district could translate to a local property tax increase.

Source: Rochester First