Mount Vernon Voters Approve Revised $275.5M School Budget for 2026-27

MOUNT VERNON, NY — Voters have approved a revised $275,542,563 budget for the Mount Vernon City School District's 2026-2027 school year.

The budget passed by an official vote of 1,161 to 1,075 on Tuesday.

The approved budget reflects a 1.50 percent increase to the tax levy and is funded through property taxes, state and federal aid, and local revenue sources. The district said voters rejected the initial proposed budget in May, when the spending plan included a 1.99 percent increase in the tax levy.

The budget was reduced after the initial vote. Its passage means the Board of Education will not need to adopt a contingency budget, which the district said would have included harsher cuts.

The district said the Mount Vernon community turned out in greater numbers for this vote than for the initial budget vote.

"Thank you to the Mount Vernon community for supporting a budget that will support all our scholars and help advance their opportunities," Superintendent Demario Strickland said. "I would like to assure the community that this budget is a responsible and purposeful plan, shaped by the realities of a lean fund balance and guided by an unwavering commitment to our students, families, and community."