Budget Brochure
Table of Contents
A Letter from the Superintendent
Budget Vote
Summary of Budget Proposals
Budget Information
Three-Part Expenditure
Propositions
Revenues
Tax Breakdown
Voter Qualifications
Absentee Ballots
2025-26 Budget Proposal and Comparison Figures
Basic STAR Exemption Impact
For more information
Meet the Board Candidates
Preparing for the Future of Student Transportation: EV Mandate and Smart Planning at No Tax Impact
*A PDF version of the newsletter is available at the bottom of this page.
A Letter from the Superintendent
Churchville-Chili residents,
As the warmth of spring returns, it’s exciting to see our students preparing for our art shows, spring concert series, athletic contests, and many end-of-year traditions. Our Phase VI capital project at the middle school and outdoor athletic facilities continues to progress, including our new middle school offices and classrooms, the new stairwell at the middle school and the kitchen at the middle school.
In just a few weeks, our annual budget vote and Board of Education candidate election will take place. Developing our school district’s budget is a careful and thoughtful process that prioritizes providing high quality educational programs while maintaining fiscal responsibility. We have dedicated significant time to reviewing expenditures, identifying efficiencies, evaluating student and program needs, and determining staffing requirements. As a result, we are pleased to present a fiscally responsible budget for your consideration on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
The proposed 2025-26 school budget of $108,897,682, approved by the Board of Education on April 8 represents an increase of 5.4% over last year’s budget. This results in a 3.31% increase in the tax levy, which remains below the district’s levy cap of 4.59%.
On the ballot, you will see our proposed school budget for the 2025-26 school year along with one additional propositions:
Proposition 2: Purchase of ten electric school buses
New York State has mandated that public school districts transition to zero-emission buses by 2027, with full adoption by 2035. To ease the transition, we are proposing the purchase of ten electric buses using the New York Bus Incentive Program funding and funds from the 2024 School Bus and Infrastructure Capital Reserve Fund.
To learn more about why now is the right time to purchase the electric buses, please visit our "Preparing for the Future of Student Transportation" section of this budget brochure, located on page 6.
This year will look slightly different at the polls, with the transition to new electronic voting machines. These new machines should ease the process and cut down on the amount of time it takes to vote. We have a tutorial of how to use the new machines on the budget section of our district website.
Additional information about our district’s proposed 2025-26 budget, as well as Board of Education candidates, can be found on the district website at https://www.cccsd.org/Budget. The district has also shared our “Breaking Down the Budget” videos throughout the spring, which I encourage you to watch to learn more about our budget process.
We look forward to seeing you on campus for our upcoming student events and celebrations and hope you will take the opportunity to vote on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
Go Saints!
Dr. Carmine Peluso
Superintendent of Schools
Budget Vote
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Middle School North Cafeteria, Door 31
noon-9 p.m.
Summary of Budget Proposals
| Budget 2024-25 | Proposed Budget 2025-26 | Difference | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expenditures | $103,303,515 | $108,879,682 | $5,576,167 | 5.4% |
| Revenues | $58,316,153 | $61,802,927 | $3,486,774 | 5.98% |
| Appropriated Fund Balances/Reserves | $2,686,589 | $3,375,826 | $689,237 | 25.7% |
| Tax Levy | $42,300,773 | $43,700,929 | $1,400,156 | 3.31% |
| Estimated True Value Tax Rate | $14.57 | $14.41 | ($0.16) | (1.1%) |
As illustrated by this table, a budget of $108,879,682 results in an increase of 5.4% over 2024-25.
Budget Information
How we arrived at the budget Four Board of Education meetings were held that were dedicated to budget discussions. Principals, directors, instructional leaders and community members were consulted in this process. Each request was carefully analyzed to determine what should be included in the budget. The district worked hard to maintain quality programs across the district, support educational programs and services vital to successful implementation of district goals, meet the needs to all students and staff, meet the safety and security needs across the district, while identifying alternate funding sources and cost saving measures to keep the tax levy within property tax cap calculation.
Changes reflected in the proposed budget
- State aid
- Retirement salary savings
- Unfunded mandates
- Special Education services
- Contracted obligations
- Additional staffing and budget allocation:
- School nurse
- Speech teacher
- Autism specialist
- Teaching assistants
- Athletic coaches
- Occupational Therapist
- IT Department Administrative Assistant
Three-Part Expenditure
New York State law requires that all school districts present the proposed budget in three parts that include Program, Capital and Administrative. The law also states that these three-part expenditures of the budget must exclude propositions or voter-authorized adjustments.
Program
The Program component of the proposed budget includes expenses associated with instructional programs, teacher salaries and benefits, transportation, special education and community services.
Capital
The Capital component contains maintenance costs for buildings and grounds, custodial services, utilities, tax refunds and judgments, capital expenses and debt service.
Administrative
The Administrative component consists of costs associated with personnel, communications, BOCES administration, all administrators, financial and legal services, the Superintendent’s Office and Board of Education expenditures.
| Component | 2024-25 | Percent of Budget | 2025-26 | Percent of Budget | Dollar Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program | $74,566,949 | 72.18% | $78,439,616 | 72.04% | $3,872,666 |
| Capital | $16,994,664 | 16.45% | $18,089,842 | 16.62% | $1,095,178 |
| Administrative | $11,741,902 | 11.37% | $12,350,224 | 11.34% | $608,323 |
Propositions
Proposition 1: Budget
Voters will decide whether to approve the proposed budget of $108,879,682 as presented by our Churchville-Chili Board of Education for the 2025-26 school year.
Proposition 2: Electric Bus Purchase
Voters will decide on a resolution authorizing the district to purchase ten electric school buses for the purpose of providing student transportation and ancillary educational purposes, including charging stations, original equipment and incidental expenses for the foregoing purpose, at a total estimated cost to the School District, after taking into account New York Bus Incentive Program funding, not to exceed $3,000,000; which shall be funded by the 2024 School Bus and Infrastructure Capital Reserve Fund.
Revenues
| Dollar Amount | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| State Aid | $54,535,902 | 50% |
| Proposed Tax Levy | $43,700,929 | 40.2% |
| County Sales Tax | $4,750,000 | 4.4% |
| Fund Balance | $3,375,826 | 3.1% |
| Other | $2,517,025 | 2.3% |
Tax Breakdown
| Town | 2024-45 Equalization Rate | 2024-25 Actual Property Tax Rate | 2025-26 Equalization Rate | 2025-26 Estimated Property Tax Rate | Estimated Change | 2025-26 Estimated Property Tax (per $200,000 Assessed Value) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riga | 82% | $17.77 | 100% | $14.41 | ($3.36) | $2,890 |
| Ogden | 100% | $14.57 | 99% | $14.56 | ($0.01) | $2,890 |
| Chili | 100% | $14.57 | 98% | $14.70 | ($0.13) | $2,890 |
| Sweden | 100% | $14.57 | 95% | $15.17 | ($0.60) | $2,890 |
| True Value of Home | 100% | $14.57 | 100% | $14.41 | ($0.16) | $2,890 |
Tax Cap Information
As with all districts, the tax cap is calculated using a complex equation. This year, the tax levy cap specific to Churchville-Chili District is 4.59%. With a proposed increase to the levy of 3.31%, the district is below the State's cap.
Voter qualifications
In order to vote you must be:
-
A United States Citizen
- At least 18 years of age.
- A resident of the Churchville-Chili Central School District for at least thirty (30) days prior to the vote.
Absentee Ballots
Residents unable to vote because of disabilities, illness, travel or other reasons listed as valid under election law, may request applications for absentee ballots. Residents unable to appear in person at the polls on election day may request applications for early voter ballots. Applications are available on the district website or by contacting the District Clerk at 293-1800, ext. 2300 or in-person at our administrative offices located at 139 Fairbanks Road. The district must receive applications by May 13, 2025, at least seven days before the vote, if the resident would like to receive the ballot by mail. Residents who wish to pick up their absentee ballots in person may apply through May 19, 2025. In all cases, the ballot must be returned to our administrative offices no later than 5 p.m. on May 20, 2025. Ballots received later than this cannot be accepted under education law, regardless of the postmarked date.
2025-26 Budget Proposal and Comparison Figures
| Overall budget Proposal | Budget Adopted for the 2024-25 School Year | Budget Proposed for the 2025-26 School year | Contingency Budget for the 2025-26 School Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Budgeted Amount, Not Including Separate Propositions | $103,303,515 | $108,879,682 | $106,852,612 |
| Increase/Decrease for the 2025-26 School Year | $5,576,167 | $3,549,097 | |
| Percentage Increase/Decrease in Proposed Budget | 5.40% | 3.43% | |
| Change in Consumer Price Index | 2.95% | ||
| A. Proposed Tax Levy to Support the Total Budgeted Amount | $42,300,773 | $43,700,929 | $42,300,773 |
| B. Levy to Support Library Debt, If Applicable | |||
| C. Levy for Non-Excludable Propositions, If Applicable | |||
| D. Total Tax Cap Reserve Amount Used to Reduce Current Year Levy | |||
|
E. Total Proposed School Year Tax Levy (A+B+C-D) |
$42,300,773 | $43,700,929 | |
| F. Permissible Exclusions to the School Tax Levy Limit | $11,354 | ||
| G. School Tax Levy Limit, Excluding Levy for Permissible Exclusions | $43,070,010 | $44,241,717 | |
| H. Total Proposed Tax Levy for School Purposes, Excluding Permissible Exclusions and Levy for Library Debt, Plus Prior Year Tax Cap Reserve (E-F) | $42,289,419 | $43,700,929 | |
| I. Difference: (G-H); (Negative Value Requires 60% Voter Approval) | $1,017,591 | $540,788 | |
| Administrative Component | $11,741,902 | $12,350,224 | $12,190,244 |
| Program Component | $74,566,949 | $78,439,616 | $78,364,496 |
| Capital Component | $16,994,664 | $18,089,842 | $14,270,802 |
The annual budget vote for the fiscal year 2025-26 by the qualified voters of the Churchville-Chili Central School District, Monroe County, New York, will be held at the Middle School North Cafeteria, Door 31 in the district on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, between the hours of noon-9 p.m.
Basic STAR Exemption Impact
Estimated Basic STAR Exemption Savings1 under the budget proposed for the 2025-26 school year... $432
1 The basic school tax relief (STAR) exemption is authorized by section 425 of the Real Property Tax Law.
For more information
If you would like to learn more about the proposed budget, please contact Matthew DeAmaral, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services, at 293-1800 ext. 2330 or mdeamaral@cccsd.org or Dr. Carmine Peluso at 293-1800 ext. 2300 or cpeluso@cccsd.org. Budget information is also available on the district website at www.cccsd.org/budget.
Meet the Board of Education Candidates
Preparing for the Future of Student Transportation: EV Mandate and Smart Planning at No Tax Impact
As part of New York State’s environmental goals, a new mandate will require all school districts to purchase zero-emission school buses starting in 2027, with full fleet conversion by 2035. The Churchville-Chili Central School District is taking a proactive, cost-effective approach to this transition—ensuring readiness while protecting local taxpayers.
This year’s transportation proposition includes the authorization to purchase 10 new school buses, as well as the installation of related infrastructure.
The district is leveraging state transportation aid, state incentives, and reserve funds that have already been set aside specifically for transportation and infrastructure needs. By acting now, we can take advantage of these limited-time funding opportunities and avoid higher costs in the future.
There will be no impact on local taxes.
Why Act Now?
- State incentive funds are first come, first serve
- Delaying could lead to higher prices and fewer funding options
- A phased approach ensures smoother service with no disruption to students
- Drivers and mechanics would benefit from hands-on experience
- A longer timeline allows for a more gradual transition
We’re also staying focused on reliability. Electric bus models continue to improve, and by gradually adding them to our fleet, we’ll gain valuable experience in operating them in our climate without risking performance or safety.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Will this raise my taxes?
A: No. The proposition is funded by state incentives, state aid and district reserve funds.
Q: Why not wait until 2027?
A: Costs are expected to rise, and funding may not be available later. Early adoption allows us to plan carefully and save money.
Q: Why buy ten buses?
A: Ten buses represent the maximum number the District is eligible to receive funding for through the New York State Bus Incentive Program. Approving the purchase of all ten now gives the District greater flexibility to plan for ordering, testing, and integrating this new technology. The purchases will be phased in over the next three school years. Taking advantage of grant funding while it is available will help reduce the impact on future budgets as the 2027 state mandate approaches.
Q: What’s the cost of each bus?
A: Electronic buses cost approximately $458,500. This district is eligible for $220500 per bus through NYSBA funding. The remaining $238,000 will be paid from the 2024 Bus Reserve and general transportation aid each year over the life of the bus.
The state mandate is coming—but thanks to careful planning, Churchville-Chili is prepared to meet it without increasing the financial burden on our residents.
Budget Brochure
