Superintendent Clarence Ellis urges voters to approve 1.99% tax levy to shore up East Ramapo budget

Superintendent Dr. Clarence Ellis urged the East Ramapo community to support a proposed 1.99% tax-levy increase, saying the modest raise—estimated to yield roughly $3 million—would help the district avoid a contingency (austerity) budget and begin addressing long‑standing facility and transportation needs.

"If we pass the budget at the 1.99%, as Miss Espinel said, it will give us a little bit slightly over 3,000,000, around $3,000,000. That won't solve all our problems, but it will start the healing process," Ellis said during the town-hall presentation.

Natalie Espinel, the district's Assistant Superintendent for Business, presented the budget framework and revenue assumptions. She told attendees that revenue sources include state aid (estimated to rise by roughly $16–17 million for the coming year), federal grant reimbursements and local property taxes. Espinel said the district plans to use about $17,696,489 in fund balance to balance the 2024–25 budget and that total revenues and expenditures are estimated at approximately $331,800,000.

Why it matters: East Ramapo faces a unique cost structure because of universal busing and a large private-school population using district transportation. Presenters said transportation accounts for about 23% of this budget—well above typical districts—and projected transportation costs around $76 million for the coming year. Ellis described the historical roots of universal busing as a community safety measure and said private-school ridership grew from roughly 6,000 to about 32,000 students over several decades, leaving the district "beyond the tipping point" for easy policy reversal.

"We are beyond the tipping point now," Ellis told the crowd, explaining that shifting to mileage limits would not produce the savings it might have years ago.

Officials also detailed capital needs. Ellis and staff said the district received more than $200 million in federal COVID-relief funding, of which about $90 million was spent on facilities upgrades; their architect estimated roughly $236 million would be needed to bring all buildings to a sound condition. Presenters identified immediate projects such as replacing gym floors and bleachers, ADA upgrades at Ramapo High School, replacement of kitchen hoods and remediation on drinking-fountain fixtures where lead traces were found.

Officials warned that a failed budget could force the district into a contingency budget that would limit non-emergency capital work and make routine transactions more difficult. To address cash-flow pressure and borrowing capacity, Ellis said the district has met with the New York State Education Department, the state-appointed fiscal monitor and Assemblyman Zombrowski to explore financing options.

Next steps: The board adopted the proposed budget in April and officials reminded attendees that the budget vote referenced in the discussion is scheduled for May 21 (year referenced in the transcript). District leaders asked community members to turn out and said they will continue outreach and follow-up on specific operational issues raised during the town hall.