April 1, 2026 - The Budget Heads to the Ballot
This was the night the budget became official. The board formally adopted a 2026–27 spending plan of $165,561,086, a 2.89% tax increase, and placed it before voters for the May 19 election. That means Rome residents will decide two money questions next month. One on the budget itself, plus a separate $420,000 proposition to buy two new buses. The meeting was shorter than recent ones, but it also brought a clean financial audit, and an update on new school-safety equipment coming this fall.
What happened at the meeting
The board adopted the budget. The final figure ticked up slightly from earlier drafts after the state finalized its aid numbers, landing at $165,561,086. For a $100,000 home, the increase works out to roughly $48 a year. Business chief Dr. Georgia Gonzalez noted that going out at the full tax cap rather than a hair lower makes almost no difference to the average homeowner. It’s a matter of a dollar or two. The plan now goes to the public at three community forums (April 27 at Lee Town Hall, April 28 at Jervis Library, April 29 at Gansevoort) and a formal budget hearing on May 11.
Voters face two questions on May 19. Along with the budget, the board confirmed a second, separate proposition. It’s an authorization to buy two new diesel buses at a cost not to exceed $420,000. The state reimburses about 90% of bus purchases, so most of that comes back. Three board seats are also on the ballot, and the district is encouraging anyone interested in running to reach out to a current board member.
What the new money pays for. The budget adds a workforce/career and technical education director, math and biology teachers and a social worker for student support, two more security staff, and door-security upgrades, along with building repairs (gym wall padding at Bellamy, septic work at Stokes, a failing roadway behind RFA), new classroom furniture, and the two buses on the ballot.
A clean financial audit. An independent risk audit of the district's internal controls and financial safeguards for last year came back positive, with only minor findings. The board credited the business office for a striking turnaround from a year ago, when there was a long list of corrections to make. The audit and the district's corrective action plan will be posted on the district website.
Metal detectors are coming this fall. The safety committee reported that the district is buying movable metal detectors and handheld wands with the goal of having them running by September. Members also described traffic-safety studies underway at Ridge Mills, Stokes, and John Joy, where the district is working with state police on signage and trying to get speed limits lowered on the state roads near those schools. Grants cover some of the cost, but not all, and the business office is hunting for additional funding.
Summer meals and housekeeping. The board renewed the free summer meals program, which runs late June through August, and approved a 4% raise for its staff (the program pays for itself). It also accepted donations for the Strough Middle School science fair from Hannaford and RT Federal Credit Union, granted tenure to two special-education teachers, and advanced several policies on a first reading.