The Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District is moving closer to finalizing its 2026-27 preliminary budget. Superintendent Darcy Woodcock and School Business Administrator Brian Bartlett presented the district’s Instructional Budget plan during the regular Board of Education meeting on Monday, March 23.
The Instructional Budget is the largest portion of the district’s spending plan, accounting for approximately 75% of expenses. It supports programs and the majority of district staff salaries. This includes things like employee benefits, special education, pupil services, and instructional media.
Administrators are looking closely at all areas of the budget while navigating a rise in essential operating costs. Preliminary estimates show a budget gap of approximately $5 million, driven largely by factors beyond the district’s direct control – including an 18% rise in utilities, a 10% increase in health insurance premiums, and an estimated 13% uptick in commercial insurance.
While the district is projected to receive a 1% increase in Foundation Aid, administrators are working to bridge the gap between state funding and the cost of providing a high-quality education. Administrators are doing this by following three guiding goals: maintain student programming, adhere to the tax cap, and reduce staff through attrition when possible.
At this point in the process, the plan includes a reduction of approximately 35 positions across the district. This includes 32 full-time equivalent Instructional positions, 2 full-time equivalent Administrative positions, and 1 full-time equivalent Non-Instructional position. Most of these reductions will occur through attrition, including retirements and resignations, which helps minimize the impact on current staff wherever possible.
“Deciding to reduce staff is never easy, especially when it involves colleagues who have given so much to our students. We’re trying to ensure our staffing levels match our current enrollment. It’s a tough balance to strike, but we’re committed to being fiscally responsible while staying deeply respectful of the people who make our schools great,” shared Woodcock. “We have worked carefully to spread the reductions across the entire district to minimize the impact on any one school building or department.”
It’s important to note that the district is looking beyond staffing to find areas to save money without impacting student programming and services. One example is replacing ThoughtExchange, an online survey tool, with Google Forms. This switch alone would save the district approximately $18,840. Another example involves reducing some OCM BOCES services, like changing the way the district shares report cards with families. This one shift would save approximately $16,000.
“We’re looking at every line in this budget and asking a simple question: Does this actually help us reach our goals for our students? Just because we’ve done something a certain way for years doesn’t mean it’s the best or most affordable way to do it,” explained Woodcock. “I’ll continue to reiterate the importance of bending without breaking. If something does not serve our students or community as intended, we will adjust and move in another direction.”
Next Steps
Administrators plan to hold meetings with staff prior to Spring break, which begins Monday, March 30. This will include individual meetings with staff members whose positions are directly affected by the budget. Group discussions with applicable departments will also take place where staffing or program adjustments may occur to discuss impacts and next steps together.
The New York state budget is expected to be released on April 1, providing final information on state aid and other funding that affects the district’s budget planning. This will be the focus of the district’s next Board of Education update, which is scheduled for Monday, April 6.
All budget updates and presentations will be accessible on the district’s Budget and Finance webpage.