Peekskill Sets Hearing On $99 Million School Budget For 2020-21

PEEKSKILL, NY — The Peekskill Board of Education will do a new thing on May 26 — hold its annual budget hearing remotely. That's only one of the many changes forced on the district by the new coronavirus pandemic in New York.

The trustees adopted a $98.5 million budget proposal for 2020-21 on Tuesday that carries a tax levy increase of 1.95 percent.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has warned that the economic effect of the shutdown imposed to curb the outbreak could mean much less money available for state education aid. The state will be assessing and adjusting its budget several times in the course of 2020. Cuomo's last estimate was that state aid would be 20 percent lower than already promised.

The district expects to receive $5.9 million less than last year in education aid.

"The enacted State Budget includes three periods during 2020 in which the state will compare anticipated revenues and budgeted spending with actual revenues and spending. If revenue is more than one percent short of forecasted or spending one percent more than budgeted, then the state will cut its budget accordingly," Robin Zimmerman, Assistant Superintendent for Business, told the Peekskill Board of Education in April.

See the budget presentation for 2020-21 on the website here.

Things to know:

1. School district budget votes and school board elections are by absentee ballot only in 2020.
2. Absentee ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in the district the week of May 25.
3. If you are not registered, you may register by mail with the County Board of Elections or apply through the state online. The last day you can register to vote is May 26.
4. The votes will be counted June 10 at 7 p.m. The canvass can be watched at www.peekskillschools.org.

To vote, you must be:

• A United States citizen
• At least 18 yrs of age by June 9, 2020
• A resident of the district by May 10, 2020
• Cannot have been disqualified from voting based upon a reason described in Election Law §5-106.