Hastings-on-Hudson board hears instructional budget with added staff and no program cuts

The Hastings-on-Hudson Board of Education spent much of its March 17 meeting reviewing a draft 2026–27 instructional budget that administrators say keeps all programs intact while adding staff and salary increases.

Dr. McCursey, who opened the presentation, said the proposal centers on instruction and urged trustees to vote unanimously when the budget appears on the April ballot. “This is the most substantial presentation. It’s at the heart and core of what we do, teaching and learning,” he said, adding that the plan is structured to remain within the tax cap.

Administrators summarized the budget’s highlights: salary increases negotiated across bargaining units, no program reductions, additional instructional hires that amount to a net increase of about 6.8 FTE (largely targeted to special education and student supports), and funding for facilities and extracurriculars. Maureen, the district business lead, noted the revenue picture and five-year projections and said the plan relies in part on reserves and a transfer from capital — roughly $2.5 million in fund-balance support as presented — to balance the first year.

Board members pressed administrators on particulars during a later question-and-answer session: trustees asked how many of the added positions were new versus redeployments, whether anticipated retirements were built into the figures, and how enrollment assumptions drove section counts. Administrators said some reductions (for example, one Grade 5 section) are enrollment-driven, while most net additions respond to special-education needs and intervention expansions.

The board was told the formal budget vote is scheduled for April; administrators said they will host a public forum and continue outreach ahead of the vote.

What’s next: the board will review final numbers and vote on the budget in April; administrators encouraged public engagement in the intervening weeks.