On Tuesday, May 19, Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District residents will vote on a proposed $74.9 million budget for the 2026-27 school year.
In order to balance the budget, the district used three guiding goals to address a $5 million budget gap, caused largely by increased operating costs like utilities and insurance. District leaders reduced spending while also maintaining student programming, reducing staff through attrition as much as possible, and adhering to the tax cap.
The proposal addresses the diverse needs of students while minimizing its financial impact on taxpayers. It stays within the district’s calculated tax levy limit of 2.63%, requiring a simple majority of voters to approve the budget for it to pass.
The 2026-27 proposed budget would be funded through four areas: state aid ($22.9 million), the tax levy ($47.5 million), fund balance and reserves ($2.5 million), and other revenues ($2 million) from such items as county sales tax and interest income.
On the Ballot
Proposition 1: 2026-27 Budget
Proposed Budget: $74,962,459
Budget Change: -$365,208
Tax Levy Change: 2.63%
Proposition 2: Bus Purchases
The district is proposing the purchase of four new 65-passenger gasoline buses and one Micro Bird wheelchair bus for a total cost of $837,993. This would keep the district’s bus replacement plan on track, which aims to keep maintenance costs low and provide safe transportation for students.
Proposition 3: Funding Community Library of DeWitt & Jamesville
District residents will also vote on a proposition to levy and collect a tax in the amount of $1,688,580 for the Community Library of DeWitt & Jamesville. New York state education law allows libraries to place a funding proposition on school district ballots and requires districts to levy and collect taxes for libraries.
Board of Education Election
District residents will elect three members to the Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District Board of Education. Three candidates filed nominating petitions for three available seats. The candidates with the highest number of votes will fill the available seats. Each term will run from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029.
You can read candidate profiles and statements provided to the district here.
Vote
You can learn more about the spending plan by reading the district’s budget newsletter or by visiting the Budget & Finance webpage.
The budget vote is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, at the J-D High School gymnasium from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Community members will be asked to complete an exit poll after voting.