New proposal reduces tax levy increase to 3.25%, at the state cap; lowers estimated tax rate to 1.63%

On Tuesday, June 17, Scotia-Glenville residents will have the opportunity to vote on a revised $66,513,694 budget proposal for the 2025-26 school year. The updated plan adjusts the proposed tax levy increase to 3.25%, which is within the state’s allowable tax cap and down from the 5.09% increase, which voters rejected on May 20. To achieve this, the district reduced expenses by $614,964. The reductions in the revised budget were in the areas of buildings and grounds, transportation, the district office, and one library position. As a result, the estimated tax rate increase is now 1.63%, down from the original 3.44% projection. For a home assessed at $160,000, that would mean an estimated increase of $64 per year, or about $5.33 per month, before factoring in any STAR savings.

A public hearing on the revised budget proposal is scheduled for Monday, June 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Middle School Cafeteria. Community members are encouraged to attend or watch the meeting via livestream on the district’s YouTube channel. The link is available on the Board of Education page of this website.

What happens if the revised budget is rejected?

If the revised budget is defeated, the Board of Education must adopt a contingency budget by Tuesday, July 1. This would result in significant cuts to staff, athletics, extracurricular activities, and other essential programs. A contingency budget cannot increase the tax levy over the previous year, reducing revenue by $1,084,331. State law also limits what can be funded under a contingency budget, which would negatively affect students.

Voting before June 17

You can request an absentee or early voter ballot by contacting District Clerk Jill Busman at (518) 347-3600 ext. 7102, or jbusman@sgcsd.net. Ballots must be returned by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17 in order to be counted.