New Rochelle School District Adopts $253.7M Budget

NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The City School District of New Rochelle will add seven new teaching jobs if the 2016-17 budget is OK’d as proposed by the voters.

At the Board of Education meeting Tuesday, trustees adopted a $253.7 million spending plan—a $3.6 million increase over the current budget. That represents a 1.42 percent increase over the 2015-16 budget.

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The tax levy will increase 1.11 percent which means the district is under the state mandated tax levy cap and the only require a majority vote by New Rochelle voters.

District officials said all programs and faculty and staff positions in place for the current year will be retained.

Additionally, the proposed budget will add three teachers for kindergarten through fifth grade and four teachers for grades seven through 12.

Superintendent Brian G. Osborne said the district’s academic program is crafted to give students as many advantages as possible for success.

“New Rochelle voters expect, and our students deserve, the best quality education possible to allow them to become tomorrow’s leaders,” he said, in a prepared statement.

Board President Lianne Merchant said the proposed budget has the lowest tax rate in 15 years.

“We believe the way we have been conservative in its preparation exceeds taxpayer expectations,” she said, adding the board was hopeful voters would support the spending plan.

The board will hold a public hearing on the budget at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 3. The session will be in the New Rochelle High School Library.

Voters will go to the polls May 17 to vote on the budget.

Photo credit: nred.org