Photo by Howard Owens.
The Le Roy Central School District is bracing for difficult financial decisions as it asks voters to approve a $32,035,588 budget for the 2025-26 school year.
Spending is projected to increase 3.18%, or $986,768.
Superintendent Merritt Holly, speaking Tuesday night at a public hearing on the proposed budget in the Wolcott School auditorium, outlined a budget shaped by rising costs, staff reductions, and heavy reliance on state funding.
The district’s proposed tax levy is $10,800,650, an increase of 1.25%, keeping Le Roy under the state’s tax cap. However, the district is feeling the squeeze from inflation, escalating health insurance premiums, and contractual obligations, including a new teacher contract and higher special education expenses.
Holly noted, as he did in the district's budget newsletter, the district has no say in or control over property tax assessments.
The estimated tax rates for the municipalities that overlap with the district:
- Bergen and Pavilion, $15.76
- Caledonia, $16.77
- Le Roy, $16.95
- Stafford, $17.51
One of the most significant impacts: staffing. Six retirements are expected, but only two positions will be replaced. This is a shift from previous years, when Le Roy was able to add staff while neighboring districts made cuts.
“The impact is being felt most at Wolcott Street School, where we're not replacing four of six retirees," Holly said. "It will directly affect students and staff.”
Enrollment is currently 1,103 students, down 114 students since 2016. Enrollment affects the district's share of state aid.
"When you look at the Jr./Sr. high school, we have one of our smaller senior classes that we've had in a while, at least in my time," Holly said.
There are 81 seniors.
The district is reliant on state aid. Holly said 63% of Le Roy’s budget comes from Albany, far more than in wealthier suburban districts.
“We’re not like the Monroe County schools that can tap into their tax base to close gaps,” Holly said. “We rely heavily on state aid, and any changes at the state or federal level could have a big impact here.”
Holly noted, as he did with The Batavian in March, that there are 152 unfunded state mandates, including the looming requirement for electric school buses and costly special education placements, as well as ongoing budget pressures. Inflation has also hit utility costs and other essentials.
“We’re all competing for the same teachers, and we’re all feeling the pinch from rising costs,” he said.
The superintendent also warned of federal uncertainty, noting that political debates in Washington could threaten funding streams like Title 1, which supports students from low-income families.
“We can’t sit and worry about politics, but we have to plan and prepare for whatever comes,” Holly said.
Despite these fiscal challenges, the district has historically enjoyed strong community backing for its budgets, the superintendent noted. This year’s ballot also includes a $379,000 proposition for the Woodward Memorial Library and the uncontested re-election of two Board of Education members.
