Skip to main content

Better Together. Better Tomorrows.

Budget & Finance

Budget & Finance

The school budget is the biggest investment the community collectively makes with its tax dollars. District leaders work to make the most effective use of resources to benefit students, to develop and manage the budget in a responsible and transparent manner and to be accountable to taxpayers.

Each spring, the Board of Education adopts a budget for the coming school year that the community then votes upon. New York state has designated the third Tuesday in May as the date for all public school district budget votes.

2026-27 School Budget

     
  Rockland CSD voters approve almost $34M budget; elect board members
On May 19, residents of the Rockland Central School District approved the district’s almost $34 million budget for the 2026-27 school year with 431 yes votes and 310  no votes.
“We know this budget year was challenging,” Interim Superintendent Keith Lewis said. “We appreciate the voters’ support of this budget.”
The $33,974,076 budget increases spending $1,839,096, or 5.72%, while keeping the tax levy increase at the tax levy limit of 4.48%. 
Aligning with the district’s strategic plan’s focus on student success, the budget maintains programs, including middle and high school electives in which students are showing growing interest, such as broadcasting and wellness, while adding an elementary STEM enrichment program.
To combat rising expenses, many of which are out of the district’s control, the budget reduced equipment purchases, created efficiencies in the afterschool and summer programs, reduced general support to the school lunch fund based on cost savings, and did not fund seven staff positions, some of which were vacant in the current year budget.
Board of Education election results
Three board of education members were elected to the board. The two top vote-getters,  Melissa Hess with 363 votes, and Jill Smith with 351 votes, will each serve three-year terms. The third top vote-getter, Alys Mann with 255 votes, will serve a two-year-plus term, effective immediately due to the vacancy created by resignation of James Buck on July 3. Tom Ward was appointed to fill the seat until the next election. Also on the ballot, with their vote totals, were: Chris Tuelweit, with 143 votes; Amy LeRoy, with 144 votes; Ashley Hoag-Irwin with 238 votes; Nicole Park, with 146; Tom Ward, with 251 votes and Kim Sheldon with 243 votes.
There were also two write-in votes.  

 

    • Total Budget: $33,974,076
    • Budget Change:$1,839,0968 (+5.72%)
    • School Tax Levy: $15,625,135
    • School Tax Levy Change: +4.48%

    • Property Taxes: $15,625,135 (+4.48%)  — 45.99% of revenue
    • State Aid*: $16,300,318 (+11.00%) — 47.98% of revenue
    • Fund Balance/Reserves: $905,123 (-14.34%) — 2.66% of revenue
    • Other: $1,143,500 (-20.47%) — 3.37% of revenue
    • Total: $33,974,076 (+5.72%)

    *Based on the governor’s budget proposal projections, as the state budget was not passed before the Rockland school budget proposal was approved by the board of education.

    • General Support: $4,809,590 (+4.66%) — 14.16% of expenditures
    • Instruction: $17,034,036 (-0.14%) — 50.14% of expenditures
    • Pupil Transportation: $3,241,857 (+4.58%) — 9.54% of expenditures
    • Employee Benefits: $6,944,931 (+5.86%) — 20.43% of expenditures
    • Community Services: $2,100 (-4.68%) — 0.01% of expenditures
    • Debt Service: $1,426,562 (+315.06%) —4.20% of expenditures
    • Interfund Transfers: $515,000 (+8.42%) — 1.52% of expenditures
    • Total: $33,974,076 (+5.72%)

  • New York State Education Law requires the Rockland Central School District to provide the following documents related to the school budget:

  • New York law requires school districts to present their budgets divided into three expenditure categories—program, administrative and capital—and compare them to the previous year’s costs.Rockland's three-part budget is as follows:

    • Administrative Component: $3,630,468 (-5.34%) — 10.68% of budget
      • Includes salaries and benefits of administrators, supervisors, and administrative clerical staff, public information, printing, curriculum and staff development, school board costs, general insurance and professional fees.
    • Program Component: $25,513,132 (+2.49%) — 75.10% of budget
      • Includes salaries and benefits of all teachers and staff who deliver pupil services (guidance, health, library/media, etc.), textbooks, co-curricular activities, athletics and transportation costs.
    • Capital Component: $4,830,476 (+41.84%) — 14.22% of budget
      • Includes salaries and benefits of maintenance and custodial staff, debt service on buildings, utilities, equipment, and court-ordered costs.

  • Rockland Central School budgets:

    • 2025-26
      • Budget: $32,134,980
      • Budget Change: $903,510/+2.89% (change based on combined budgets)
      • School Tax Levy: $14,955,556
      • Tax Levy Change: -5.34%  (change based on combined budgets)

    Livingston Manor Archives

    • 2024-25 Budget: $20,252,120
    • 2023-24 Budget: $19,365,346
    • 2022-23 Budget: $18,791,973
    • 2021-22 Budget: $18,134,957
    • 2020-21 Budget: $17,406,451

    Roscoe Archives

    • 2024-25 Budget: $10,979,350
    • 2023-24 Budget: $10,288,047
    • 2022-23 Budget: $10,251,869
    • 2021-22 Budget: $9,913,364

More Information

Who can vote

In order to be legally qualified to vote in the annual school district budget vote and Board of Education election, you must be: a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old and a district resident for 30 days prior to the vote

Voting by mail

Along with traditional absentee balloting, which requires a reason for voting early, New York state allows for early voting via mail without requiring justification. Voters must fill out an application for both types of ballot. There are separate applications for each, but the application process and deadlines are the same for both.

Qualified voters may request an early voting or absentee ballot application starting April 24 by contacting District Clerk Marlyn Peters at Marlyn.Peters@rcsd.us or 845-439-1500, ext 7201. May 12 is the last day for applications to be received for those who will be mailing a completed ballot. May 18 is the last day for absentee ballot applications to be received in person and the completed ballot delivered by hand. Ballots must be received by the district clerk by 5 p.m. May 19 to be counted.

Military voters

Military voters who are qualified voters of the district may apply for a military ballot by requesting an application from the district clerk and the valid application must be received no later than 5 p.m. about 27 days before the election (April 23).  Military voters who are not registered to vote may apply to register by filling out a Military Voter Registration Application, which can also be obtained by requesting an application from the district clerk and completed applications must be received by the clerk by 5 p.m. the same day as the application deadline. Military voters may indicate a preference for receiving a military voter registration, military ballot application, or military ballot by mail, fax or email in their request for such registration, ballot application or ballot. The school district will transmit military ballots to military voters no later than the day after the deadline. Completed military ballots must be received by the district by 5 p.m. the day of the vote (May 19) to be counted.

Kathryn Blackman, Interim Business Manager
Email or call 845-439-1500, ext. 7100

What you need to know about the tax cap