Jefferson Budget Vote Defeated

JEFFERSON — The defeat of Jefferson’s budget vote on June 17, which the district described as “disappointing,” is a possibility for which the district has prepared. As mandated by state law, we will operate under a contingent budget for the 2025-26 school year. A contingent budget requires a district to prioritize expenses necessary to:

● Operate and maintain school buildings and the educational program;

● Preserve the property of the district

● Ensure the health and safety of students and staff.

Jefferson's contingent budget maintains funding levels for; student instruction and programming, teacher and staff salaries, benefits, and existing contractual obligations, athletics, field trips, student transportation, food services, and other categories essential to the normal operations of the district and student services. Our students and staff will continue to be the district’s top priority, and it is unlikely their day-to-day experience in the coming budget year will be any different than the current year.

Contingent budgets place caps on administrative spending and prevent new expenditures in categories such as bus purchases and capital outlays,while holding the tax levy at the prior year’s amount. Jefferson Central School District makes every effort to make expenditures that maximize state aid eligibility in future years, so operating under a contingent budget this year will have long-term financial implications that the district is working hard to mitigate. For the coming year, the district will continue to maximize other revenue sources, and ensure the district’s financial position remains sustainable. We greatly appreciate the efforts of our teachers and staff to provide a quality education to our students, and the administration remains focused on providing the resources necessary to continue doing so for the 2025-26 budget year and beyond.

With the defeat of the proposed budget for a second time, the Jefferson Central School District will now move to its contingency plan as outlined for the voters. The second budget vote failed by a margin of 122 no to 111 yes, similar to the original vote of 122 against and 93 in favor. The bus proposition also failed by a vote of 121 no to 112 yes.

The proposed $8,185,083 budget showed an increase of $47,263 from the current budget. It reflected a 0.58 percent increase in the tax levy and remained within the state's allowable tax cap.