Fairport details reserves, capital commitments and prepares for electric‑bus mandate

At the presentation’s close, Jeremy Nardone reviewed the district’s restricted and board‑authorized reserves and how administrators use them to smooth costs and pay for capital projects.

Nardone said the capital project reserve balance as of June 30, 2025, was just over $21,700,000, with $15,000,000 already earmarked for a capital project approved by voters in September 2025; he said the roughly $6.1 million remaining will be used for future capital needs. He described additional targeted reserves: a technology reserve for ongoing device replacement, a repair reserve for urgent facility repairs, an employee benefit accrued liability reserve for negotiated benefits and a tax certiorari reserve to address assessment challenges during reassessments.

On transportation, Nardone said the district intends to replace between eight and 11 buses annually depending on size and condition. He cited two bus reserve accounts: an older 2002 capital bus reserve planned to close with $88,000 to appear on the May 2026 ballot and a 2024 bus capital reserve with approximately $727,000 remaining for replacements.

Both presenters discussed New York’s impending zero‑emission school bus requirements: the district must be fully compliant with an electric (zero‑emission) bus mandate by June 2027, Nardone said, and he warned electric buses cost roughly three times a comparable diesel bus and will require investment in charging infrastructure. Brett Formanzano said district leaders and neighboring districts have engaged the governor’s office about implementation feasibility and noted some nearby district referendum efforts on EV infrastructure had failed, underscoring uncertainty about statewide implementation timelines.

Administrators closed by encouraging public feedback and directing viewers to posted materials and contact information for follow‑up questions.