01-05-2025
Roy-Hart school budget calls for 2.5% tax levy increase
MIDDLEPORT — The Royalton-Hartland school district's proposed $34.7 million budget for FY 2025-2026 will go to a public hearing May 7. The mostly status quo spending plan calls for a 2.5% increase in the school tax levy.
According to district treasurer Jessica Landers, the budget funds all existing teaching positions, including the posts of six teachers who are retiring this year, and all existing programs for students as well as a fourth full-day Pre-Kindergarten class at the elementary school.
Existing Pre-K classes hold up to 18 students each and based on registration for the 2025-'26 year, another class or 'section' will be needed. Thus an additional Pre-K teacher and Pre-K teacher aide will be hired, Landers said. While Pre-K registration has increased, projected general enrollment (K-12) is declining, she added in a Wednesday telephone interview.
The proposed '25-'26 budget foresees a year-over-year total spending increase of $2.4 million (7.5%). In presentations to the school board, which voted last week to adopt the budget, Landers pointed out some of the sources of the increase: salary increases for employees and a rate increase for the Genesee Area Healthcare Plan, leading to a 7% increase in instruction costs and a 7% increase in employee benefit costs; and a 20% increase in projected student transportation costs.
The projected '25-'26 tax levy is $11.6 million. Landers said the year-over-year levy increase, $283,000 (2.5%), is below the state-set cap, 4.12%.
In light of the revaluation project in the towns of Royalton and Hartland that's winding down now, Landers estimated the 'full value' '25-'26 school tax rate will fall between $14.39 and $14.60 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The current school tax rate in the towns of Royalton and Hartland is $25.06 per $1,000 of assessed value. The rate is dramatically lower in four other municipalities in the district where 2024 assessments matched or were close to full market value: Lockport and Alabama, $14.04, and Ridgeway and Shelby, $14.47.
The public hearing on the proposed budget will be held at 5:30 p.m. May 7 in the high school media center. The hearing is in advance of the May 20 public vote on the budget, school board members and additional spending propositions.
There is no contest for two of seven board seats up for election. According to district clerk Jenna Snell, Eric Waters and Melissa Bundrock are the sole candidates on the ballot, and they will succeed incumbent board members Brandi Silsby and Jesse Snyder, neither of whom pursued reelection.
The additional May 20 ballot propositions are:
• Authorize the purchase of a new plow truck, at an estimated maximum cost of $100,000, using up to $100,000 in the district's Vehicles, Machinery and Equipment Reserve Fund.
• Authorize the purchase of up to 200 Chromebooks, at an estimated maximum cost of $100,000, using up to $100,000 in the district's Technology and Security Equipment Reserve Fund. Landers said the new laptop computers would replace existing Chromebooks assigned to students in the middle school and high school.
• Authorize establishment of a new Capital Improvements Reserve Fund, into which up $6 million of savings can be deposited to finance future acquisition, construction or improvement of buildings, facilities, sites and real property by the district.
• Authorize increasing the Royalton Hartland Community Library tax levy to $123,148. The current-year levy is $120,000.
