Tuxedo school budget vote is May 20

Tuxedo Union Free School District’s 2025-26 budget vote and school board election is Tuesday, May 20. Polls will be open from 2 - 9 p.m. at George Grant Mason Elementary School.

The proposed budget of $15,107,619 includes a tax levy increase of 2.49 percent.

In a newsletter to Tuxedo residents, current Board of Education president Dan Castricone said:

“New educational offerings include advanced music classes, an elementary Spanish curriculum to build early multilingual skills, and a revamped ELA curriculum to strengthen literacy foundations. We are also introducing real-world courses like ‘Your Finance and Your Future,’ equipping students with essential financial literacy skills.”

Here is a summary of district expenditures for the proposed budget:

● Program, $11,065,499 (73.24 percent): This largest component funds all PreK-12 teacher and pupil personelle services salaries and benefits, textbooks, equipment, contractual services and materials and supplies for the classroom as well as BOCES support, library, computer, technology and related instructional costs.

● Administrative, $2,010,828 (13.31 percent): This portion includes Board of Education, superintendent’s office and business office, personnel, legal, insurance costs as well as funding for the district’s Strategic Action Plan.

● Capital, $2,031,292 (13.45 percent): The district’s operations, maintenance and facilities upkeep, is included in this category as well as transportation costs and employee salary and benefits.

Here are the main sources of revenue for the proposed school budget:

● 81.4 percent comes from property taxes in local levy, totaling $13,012,591

● 7.2 percent comes from state aid, which increased slightly this year to $1,144,804

● 11.4 percent comes from other revenues, totaling $1,835,220. This includes $1,250,000 from the second and final installment of the Tuxedo Reserve development mitigation. Of this amount, $365,005 will be used to balance the 2025-26 expenditure budget. The remaining $884,995 from the 2025-26 second mitigation payment will be added to the fund balance.

School board election

Voters will also elect three members to the Board of Education. Six candidates are vying for three open seats. Two elected members will serve a three-year term, and one elected member will serve a four-year term. The candidate with the highest number of votes will receive the four-year term.

School board candidates will appear on the ballot as follows:

• Susan Mitchell

• Samuel Dixon

• James Eirand III

• Bronwyn Roantree

• Daniel G. Castricone (incumbent)

• Jean-Michel Tijerina