School district revised budget proposal going to revote June 18

CAZENOVIA — Eligible voters in the Cazenovia Central School District (CCSD) are asked to head to the polls on Tuesday, June 18, to weigh in on a revised 2024-25 school budget proposal.

The new $38,427,222 budget proposal carries an estimated 4.02 percent tax levy increase and represents a 5.19 percent increase over the 2023-24 budget.

On May 21, voters rejected CCSD’s original $38,826,826 spending proposal by 34 votes.

The district’s original plan was to maintain academic and support programming while closing this year’s budget gap with an estimated 5.84 percent tax levy increase, the use of $1,641,005 in fund balance, some restored state aid, and $399,295 in spending cuts, including the use of attrition and restructuring of several BOCES services.

Two days after the budget proposal was defeated at the polls, the CCSD Board of Education reviewed new recommendations from the district. Ultimately, the board decided on a revised budget proposal that is at the district’s calculated tax levy limit of 4.02 percent and includes a reduction of $399,604 compared to the rejected proposal.

Because the revised budget proposal does not exceed the tax levy limit, it will require a simple majority vote — 50 percent + 1 — for authorization rather than the supermajority — 60 percent or more — needed for the previous budget proposal to pass.

A May 27 message to the CCSD community explains that to reduce the budget by $399,604, the district has proposed cutting a reading teacher and an instructional coach and reducing athletics and technology. The message notes that the district has fewer participating employees in its health insurance, which results in a cost reduction.

“We are thankful to all who came out in support of our school budget,” Superintendent Christopher DiFulvio said in the message. “We recognize we are in challenging financial times, which is why we asked students and their families, district staff, and community members for their input as we created the proposal voters weighed in on. Unfortunately, our students will feel the impact of a reduction in program and services as we work to develop a new budget proposal that is at the district’s calculated tax levy limit.”

The district message also acknowledges that over the past year, CCSD has been recognized as the top-performing school in Central New York for its English Regents exam scores, ranked among the top high schools by US News & World Report, and named one of the nation’s best communities for music education.

“Our students perform at high levels, and we want to continue offering programs that make our community proud and Cazenovia a desirable place to live,” said DiFulvio.

Under state law, if voters reject the new budget proposal on June 18, the board of education must enact a contingency budget, requiring an additional $885,248 in cuts.

“This would involve limiting the number of athletes on certain teams, reducing to no more than two teams per program, and cutting a second instructional coach, an assistant principal, [a school resource officer], a second world language teacher, its second [Career & Technical Education] teacher in three years, physics, astronomy, theater courses, the orchestra program, music electives, all teacher-leader positions, and 20 percent of extracurricular activities,” the May 27 message states.

The district would also have to eliminate the public use of its facilities, making such uses allowable on a charge basis only.

“We certainly don’t want to think about a contingency budget, but it is a reality,” said DiFulvio. “I worry about the impact this would have on our youth programs, our seniors who use the buildings for walking, and the overall feel of our community. Our schools are the center of everything we do in Cazenovia.”

The public was invited to learn more about the revised 2024-25 budget proposal during a school budget hearing on Tuesday, June 11, in the high school cafeteria.

On June 18, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the middle school auxiliary gymnasium, 31 Emory Ave.

The school budget re-vote date is the same day as the Village of Cazenovia Board of Trustees elections, which will be held at the Cazenovia American Legion from noon to 9 p.m.

“The statewide re-vote day for all school districts that had a budget voted down is set by the New York State Education Department, not by administrators or the board of education,” DiFulvio said in a follow-up message to the CCSD community. “We hope everyone who’s already out exercising their right to vote in the village election will also make time to vote on the school budget.”

To learn more about CCSD, visit cazenoviacsd.com.

Anyone not directly affiliated with CCSD can also sign up for the ParentSquare Community Group to receive newsletters and other information. Sign up at parentsquare.com/community_signups/94dc9c19-0570-4ecd-bd7a-868cb499bc46/new.