NEW BERLIN – Wary of mandatory expenses driving many of its key operational decisions, the Unadilla Valley School School Board is pushing a budget which it assures will keep staffing and programming constant for the 2026-2027 school year.

UV’s $28.5 million budget consists of a 3.28 percent expenditure increase over the current year – an approximate $905,600 difference. According to UV Superintendent Dr. Brenton Taylor, the proposal allows retention of all teachers, support staff, educational programs, and extracurriculars for the next school year.

"I feel that we're being responsible and conservative, doing our due diligence to provide for students and the community while also being fiscally responsible," Taylor said. “There are common financial challenges to schools across the state; and really, across the country. Unfortunately, we’re not immune to that in our area.”

Despite the spending increase, UV’s proposed spending plan adheres to the New York State mandated 2.23 percent ($113,494) tax levy limit. The school’s levy limit, which is determined each year by a formula unique to the school’s circumstances, is lower this year than last. The district is also budgeting for an increase in “foundation aid,” the largest category of state funds issued to school districts. 

UV’s budget was greenlighted by the school board last month, setting the stage for a district-wide vote on Tuesday, May 19, at the Unadilla Valley Central School. The board will host a community hearing at 6 p.m., May 5, for the voting public to weigh in.

Looking ahead, Taylor noted that the board is grappling with a surge in mandatory expenses – specifically health insurance and utilities – that are squeezing the school's budget. The financial strain is significant; health insurance costs alone jumped by approximately $800,000 this past year, forcing the administration into negotiations with the teachers' union regarding district contributions to healthcare plans. 

The district additionally saw a nearly $27,000 per month increase in energy expenses since the start of the school year which has signaled a need for ways to minimize the financial impact, said Taylor. Add to that the swelling price of fuel for buses, and the district is pitted against some tremendous fiscal challenges for the coming year.

"We have reached out to our local utilities to have a conversation about how to manage this,” Taylor said. "Just as we have all seen our own utilities costs increase dramatically over the past year in our homes, schools face the same challenge. We continually look at ways to increase energy efficiency, whether it is through our day-to-day operations or, on a larger scale, through capital improvements.”

In the face of financial obstacles, UV’s enrollment is a silver lining. While public school enrollment in Chenango County has slumped nearly 10 percent over the last decade, UV’s enrollment has stayed stagnant with only one less student than was enrolled in the 2015-2016 school year. Consequently, the district is able to stabilize programming and access to state aid.

Voters will also have a say in the makeup of the school board come the day of the budget vote. Three seats are up for grabs this year as current board members Vicky Gregory, Carrie Meade, and Dan Naughton end their terms. All three are running for re-election for a three-year term that begins July 1.

Also on the ballot: A $100,000 capital outlay project for door upgrades in the school building, as well as a proposition authorizing the lease of three school buses at a cost of no more than $110,000 per year for five years, which is reimbursable by state aid at a rate of 90 percent.

Likewise, the fate of the New Berlin and South New Berlin libraries’ budgets will be in voters’ hands in another ballot proposition independent of the school budget. The libraries are seeking a total tax levy of $144,680 – a $6,090 increase over the current year.

A public hearing on the proposed budget and a “Meet the Candidates Night” will take place immediately after the 6 p.m. regular board meeting on May 5.

For more information, visit the Unadilla Valley School District website at uvstorm.org.