Kendall’s proposed school budget would increase taxes 1%

KENDALL – The Kendall school district is presenting a proposed $20,921,832 budget to the community on May 21 that calls for a 1 percent increase in the tax levy.

The school budget represents a 2.5 percent spending increase, which district superintendent Nick Picardo said reflects increases in special education enrollment, benefit expenses, and year-over-year merit raises.

There will be a hearing about the budget at 6:30 p.m. today in the junior-senior high school library. The budget vote on May 21 will be from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Kendall Town Hall. Residents 18 and older who have lived in the district for at least 30 days are eligible to vote.

State aid, budgeted at $14,563,029, covers about 70 percent of the budget. The tax levy, at $5,014,303, is the second-biggest source of revenue. The levy is up 1 percent from the $4,964,656 in 2023-24.

Kendall also receives $150,000 in sales tax from Monroe County, and $60,000 in PILOT payments from the Troutburg cottages.

The district’s proposed tax rate is $11.88 per $1,000 of assessed property.

Besides the budget, voters will be asked whether to authorize up to $350,000 from the Transportation Bus Reserve to purchase transportation vehicles to replace existing vehicles.

Two candidates also are running for one five-year on the Board of Education. Chaley Swift isn’t seeking re-election to her seat on the board.

The candidates include Colleen Dorney and Scott Martin. Dorney works as a senior client service manager at Epic Retirement Plan Services. She has two children. Martin is an engineer as a member of the Monroe Community College faculty. He has three children in the elementary school.