North Rose-Wolcott board adopts $39,080,000 2026–27 budget after presenters outline cuts, reserve use

The North Rose-Wolcott Central School District Board of Education voted unanimously April 9 to adopt a $39,080,000 spending plan for the 2026–27 school year after a detailed presentation outlining a multi-million-dollar revenue shortfall and proposed staffing reductions.

Board members approved the green-sheet resolution after a roll call that recorded seven 'yes' votes (Cinda, Tina, John, Casey, Linda, Leslie and Travis). The budget plan reached the board following a staff presentation that framed the district's goals as balancing educational priorities with fiscal prudence while minimizing taxpayer impact.

Presenter Andrew Delasio told the board the district began with a maintenance-based budget near $39.9 million and initially faced roughly a $2 million shortfall. Using a planning assumption of a 2% increase in state foundation aid and seeking the district tax-cap levy (a 3.37% figure that would raise about $388,500), the remaining shortfall tightened to approximately $1.4 million. To close that gap, Delasio detailed proposed reductions — two administrative positions, four teaching positions, four support staff positions and known savings from retirements totaling about $844,000 — and recommended using about $570,000 of fund balance.

"We're hoping that we land on a number tonight," Mr. Polland said during the introduction of the presentation. Delasio added that the district strove to "deliver the best possible program in an affordable fashion," and cautioned that the plan was not immutable and would change with updated state aid figures or personnel developments.

Board members pressed presenters on program impacts. The presentation and discussion listed several grant-funded services that are ending or will be reduced, including school-violence prevention, extended school day, stronger connections, mental-health awareness training, school resource officer funding as structured previously, Title I school improvement and other wraparound and enrichment items. Delasio and other staff said essential services would continue where possible but that some duties will shift to remaining staff (for example, social workers, school psychologists and existing administrators) and that elementary supports would be prioritized to maintain equity for youngest learners.

The presenters also noted ballot items beyond the budget: bus purchase propositions (listed by passenger capacity) and Proposition 3 to appropriate library funds collected by the district and passed through to local libraries. The board was reminded that the public presentation of the budget is scheduled for May 19, when the community will have an opportunity to review the proposal before the vote.

The board approved adding the budget green sheet to the agenda and then adopted the spending plan by roll call. The meeting record lists Tina and Leslie as the movers on the budget motion; the moderator conducted the roll call and recorded unanimous support.

Next steps: district staff will present the proposed budget to the community as scheduled and continue monitoring state aid developments and retirements that could alter staffing decisions before final implementation.