Katonah-Lewisboro board adopts proposed budget, sends vehicle and rebate language to voters

The Katonah-Lewisboro Union Free School District board approved the superintendent’s proposed 2024–25 budget and moved the standard vehicle propositions to the May 21 ballot, and trustees agreed to add a late-draft proposition about federal rebates to the legal notices after debate.

Board Chair Julia opened the meeting by describing this session as the final review before adoption, then asked the administration to present budget highlights. Andrew, the district presenter, said the proposed budget would rise from roughly $119 million to just over $124 million — an increase of about $4.3 million, or 3.61% budget-to-budget, and a proposed tax-levy increase of roughly 3.4%. "The budget will be increasing ... to just over a $124,000,000 which is an increase of just over $4,300,000," Andrew said, adding the proposal stays below the statutory tax-cap threshold and, if approved by the board, would require a simple majority of voters to pass.

Finance director Lisa detailed the principal cost drivers: an approximately $2.9 million rise in health insurance, nearly $1 million in contractual increases, $379,000 more in debt service and higher TRS contributions. "These items ... total roughly $4,500,000," Lisa said, and the administration proposed offsets including $645,000 in reduced textbooks and materials and a $150,000 reduction in the planned transfer to the capital fund.

Trustees discussed staffing and enrollment; Andrew noted overall teaching staff is down by one position and support staff would increase by three part-time bus-monitor positions for elementary routes. The administration emphasized the proposed cuts were not intended to change student-facing programming.

On the ballot items, Andrew restated the three standard propositions: Proposition 1 authorizes the budget and tax levy; Proposition 2 requests permission to repurpose current-year general-fund dollars for vehicle replacements; and Proposition 3 seeks permission to use previously authorized but unspent capital funds for vehicle purchases because of cost and delivery changes. The board voted to move the budget and the vehicle propositions forward.

At trustees’ direction, the district will publish the full proposition language in the Journal News and the Westchester paper to meet statutory notice deadlines. The board also directed staff to include explanatory materials in the newsletter and other communications so voters can distinguish between similar vehicle propositions.

The budget resolution and vehicle propositions were adopted by board motion and included in the consent agenda for publication and subsequent public vote on May 21. The board closed public comment with no speakers and moved to the remainder of the agenda.