March 14, 2025
On Tuesday, May 20, New Hartford Central School District residents will vote on a proposed budget for the 2025-26 school year.
At this time, district administrators expect the budget proposal to carry a 3.26% percent tax levy increase, which is equivalent to the tax levy cap established under New York State law. This is the maximum allowable tax levy New Hartford can propose while requiring the support of a simple majority of voters (50 percent +1) for budget approval.
The 3.26% tax levy increase would allow the district to maintain all current programming.
What are the primary factors driving the budget increase?
- Salary increases due to contractual agreements
- Higher insurance/benefit costs for employees, as determined by carriers
- Increased costs for BOCES programming, such as special education, and career and technical education
- Additional seats to accommodate rising student interest in BOCES’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) programs
How would the budget increase affect my taxes?
There are several factors that dictate how an individual’s school tax bill is calculated. Tax rates are not solely determined by the tax levy approved by voters; they are often adjusted by changes in assessed values of properties by the towns within the school district, and the state using equalization rates, designed to equally distribute the tax burden across municipalities within a district—none of which are within the district’s control. Tax bills can also be affected by STAR or other exemptions for which individual taxpayers may qualify.
What’s next in the budget development process?
District administrators will continue to work toward finalizing the budget proposal in the coming weeks. The Assistant Superintendent for Business Affairs Joe Barretta will present the budget proposal to the New Hartford Board of Education at its April 15 meeting.
More information about the budget vote, timeline and election news is available on the Budget & Finance page of the district website.