Parents and staff criticize board’s 0% tax-levy decision as trustees cite savings and program preservation

Carmel, N.Y. — Community members and district staff used the Board of Education’s public comment period on May 28 to press trustees for clearer answers about the district’s budget after the board adopted a 0% tax-levy increase earlier in the budget process.

Barbara Faranda, who identified herself as representing the Carmel Office Staff Association and as a long-time district employee, said she was “mystified” that the administration and board were able to make a 0% levy work “whilst restoring the multitude of proposed cuts.” She told trustees her unit was reduced by “approximately 10%” and that overtime and other office-staff budget lines had been cut to zero, asking, “Where’s the backup plan for this?”

Faranda also urged the board to improve how it shares accurate, timely information with the public and to address what she described as low staff morale. “We serve the public in everything we do daily and rightfully should be justifiable to them,” she said.

Board members responded during the board-comments portion of the meeting. Trustee John Orser defended the board’s decision to hold the levy steady, saying the move preserved student programs and extracurriculars. Orser said a line-by-line review identified about $1,500,000 in savings after revisiting the special-education and health-insurance lines — savings he said had no impact on student programs.

“We are taxing our residents out of this community,” Orser said, describing the district’s long-term spending pressures and noting the district spends a higher share of its budget on salaries and benefits than the state average. He urged clearer accounting of what changes would and would not cut into student services.

Other members of the public, including parents and PTA/SEPTA representatives, commended individual staff and volunteers while also urging the board to reconsider a policy that prevents naming district employees during public comment. Several speakers and trustees said that policy can limit advocates’ ability to raise specific problems.

Trustees and administrators said they would provide follow-up answers publicly when possible and pointed to near-term policy work: the board’s policy committee is reviewing complaint- and engagement-related policies and plans additional meetings this week. No board action at the May 28 meeting reversed the 0% levy; trustees said additional budget oversight and communication steps would follow.

What’s next: Trustees said questions raised in public comment would be tracked for public responses and that several policy updates — including a parent-complaint policy — are on the policy committee schedule.