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Budget & Finance

Budget development timeline

  • November – January: Administration and Board of Education work to develop a draft budget for the next school year
  • February: Preliminary budget forecast presented to Board of Education
  • March: Board of Education reviews draft budgets for operational and general support, debt service and employee benefits, instructional and special education
  • March/April: Legal notice of school budget hearing and vote published
  • March: Board of Education candidate petitions are available
  • April: Deadline for submission of Board of Education candidate nomination petitions
  • April: Board adopts proposed budget
  • April: Budget documents available for the public
  • Early May: Budget notice mailed to voters
  • May: Public budget hearing
  • May 21, 2024: Annual budget vote and Board of Education candidates election, HS auditorium
    This is a general timeline that will be updated as specific dates are determined.

2023-24 School year budget news

Voters approve proposed 2023-24 budget, elect 3 to Board, approve library proposition

Stillwater residents approved a proposed $29,988,245 budget for the 2023-24 school year by a vote of 416 to 164, a 71.7% approval, on May 16, 2023.

They also elected Darrell Hazen (297 votes), Valerie Masterson (266 votes) and Joshua Eiffe (204 votes) to the Board of Education for three-year terms to run from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026.

Board candidate David Giso received 165 votes, candidate Brandon Dingeman received 162 votes and candidate Cassandra Smith received 143 votes. Write-in candidate Ashley Zecca received 193 votes; write-in candidate Kim Steinmuller received one vote; write-in candidate Amy Campion received one vote; and write-in candidate Melissa Zodnick received one vote.

The 2023-24 budget preserves existing programs and services, includes the purchase of three new school buses, and includes funding for debt service payments, salary increases for faculty and staff, and increases in employee benefit costs. Spending under the budget increases by 5.06 percent, or $1,443,640, over the current-year budget. The increase in spending is being driven by increased salaries for faculty and staff; increased costs associated with health insurance and other employee benefits; and increases in utilities, diesel, gasoline, and fuel oil.

The projected tax levy—the total amount of money a school district raises through property taxes— increases by 4.48% under the approved budget. This increase is below Stillwater’s maximum allowable tax levy increase as determined by the state’s tax levy “cap” formula (6.12%).

District officials estimate that school tax rates, which are the amount of taxes residents pay per $1,000 of assessed property value, will increase by approximately 1.93% for residents in the district. Final school tax rates are set in August when assessment rolls are finalized.

Stillwater Public Library proposition approved, trustees elected

District residents approved by a vote of 356 to 227 a proposed $348,757 budget for the Stillwater Public Library, separate and apart from the school district budget, to fund the operating budget of the library. The Stillwater Public Library has the same service boundary as the school district, however the library is not governed by the district.

Voters also elected Rachel Womble (348 votes) and Linda Tracy (298 votes) to the public library’s board of trustees for three-year terms running from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026, and Joel Lombardi (272 votes) for a term running from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025.

2023-24 Budget Documents

2023-2024 Budget Hearing Presentation
May 2023 Budget Newsletter
2023-2024 Budget Summary
Component Budget Summary 2023-24
2023-2024 Line Item Budget
2023-24 Property Tax Report Card
Administrative Disclosure Statement
2023-24 Budget Overview Presentation

Information on the 2022-23 school year budget

Stillwater residents approved a proposed $28,544,605 budget for the 2022-23 school year by a vote of 359 to 113 on May 17, 2022. They also elected three to the Board of Education, approved the Stillwater Public Library budget and elected library trustees. Read the full article and view 2022-23 budget details

    Voting on Stillwater’s school budget

    On the third Tuesday of each May, residents from across New York State go to the polls to vote on the annual school district budget and to elect members of the Board of Education. Learn more about voting on Stillwater’s budget.

    School Budget 101

    In New York state, local school boards must annually develop a balanced school budget proposal and put it up for a public vote on the third Tuesday in May. Learn more about school budget development.

    Everything You Need to Know About School Budgets in 60 Seconds

    School Taxes

    Required Information

    Audit Reports

    If you cannot access any of these documents or if there is a document you are looking for that is not listed, please contact the Business Office at (518) 373-6100, ext. 30023.