Bronxville board unveils $57.6 million budget, says override of tax-levy cap will require supermajority at May 19 vote

District administrators on Monday presented a proposed $57,608,210 2026 budget for the Bronxville Union Free School District and opened the public hearing ahead of a May 19 budget referendum.

The presenter said the budget would carry a proposed tax levy increase of about 4.8%, which the board described as the first time in more than a decade it would seek to exceed the statutory tax-levy cap enacted in 2011. The board told residents that an override would require approval by a 60% plus-one supermajority at the referendum.

Administrator (name not specified in the record) told the board that salaries and benefits make up roughly 76% of the district’s spending and that inflation—particularly rising health-care benefit costs—has pushed the district toward the proposed levy increase. The presenter said cumulative choices to remain under the levy cap since 2011 had saved taxpayers approximately $15.7 million compared with budgeting at the cap, but that continuing inflation over recent years has created “a tipping point” that makes programmatic cuts difficult without exceeding the cap.

The presenter walked through homeowner examples and preliminary assessment numbers to show the potential tax-rate impact. Using the preliminary assessment roll, the district estimated an approximate tax rate near $13.22 per $1,000 of assessed value; the presenter offered a worked example showing a $3,000,000 home would pay about $39,262 in school taxes in 2025 and roughly $39,661 in 2026 under current projections, with a roughly $1,800 additional annual impact if a homeowner’s assessment rose in line with the overall roll change.

Administrators also described the district’s fund-balance position and plans to allocate surplus toward capital projects or the TRS reserve, and reviewed planned multi-year contracts for copiers, private-school transportation and a BOCES technology installment purchase agreement to maintain the Chromebook replacement cycle. Capital work planned for the coming year includes bathroom renovations and anticipated field replacements; the presenter said the capital project bids will be opened in May and bid awards are expected at a special May 19 meeting, the night of the budget vote.

Ahead of the referendum, the board accepted required financial items including the annual property-tax report card filing, an updated risk-assessment and internal-audit plan (with a focus on revenue and accounts receivable), and the Bronxville School Foundation’s spring grant slate (foundation-reported spring grants totaled $431,226.96 and the foundation reported $562,373.48 in support for the district this fiscal year). The board approved the financial items by voice vote.

No formal board vote on the budget itself occurred at the meeting; the budget will be decided by the May 19 referendum, which the presenters and board members repeatedly urged residents to review and attend.