$59K reallocated for textbooks

The Monroe Woodbury board of education passed a single budget transfer to fund nonpublic textbooks at the Wednesday, Sept. 3 meeting, which took place on the first day of the school year.

The board voted to reallocate $59,000 in security equipment to cover textbooks for nonpublic school students in the district.

According to Section 701 of the Education Law and Section 21.2 of the Rules of the Board of Regents, the board is legally required to provide textbooks to all K-12 students residing in the district, regardless of whether they attend public or nonpublic schools.

Patrick Cahill, Director of Business and Management Services, said in an email that the transferred security equipment funds were set for Yondr pouches, which had already been purchased using available funds from the 2024-25 budget.

Starting this year, all students in the district as well as the state are required to lock away their phones in the pouches throughout the entire school day in an effort to promote distraction-free learning. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Distraction-Free Schools Law in May, providing $13.5 million in funds from the 2026 state budget for school districts statewide to implement phone storage solutions.

Cahill said the available funds from last year’s budget allowed the district to order and utilize the Yondr pouches in time for the new school year. He added that it also freed up space in the 2025-26 budget, granting approval for the budget transfer.

The district originally budgeted $271,250 for security equipment in the 2025-26 school year, compared with $70,960 last year. Cahill said the reallocation will not affect the district’s safety efforts.

“The budget transfer does not impact safety plans or anticipated purchases in any way whatsoever,” Cahill said.