Brewster Sets Hearing On $103.9 Million School Budget For 2020-21

BREWSTER, NY — The Brewster 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.

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.

For Brewster, that could result in a loss of more than $4 million.

Brewster administrators and trustees have been working on how to mitigate the effect of lower revenues since March.

"Brewster Central School District is well-positioned to mitigate a one-time deficit caused by a NYS funding shortfall," according to the superintendent's budget update May 12.

The proposed spending plan the trustees are putting before voters is $103.9 million. The proposed increase in the tax levy is 1.48 percent. Officials plan to adjust spending based on the state's fiscal updates.

There is also a second proposition on the ballot asking voter approval to spend $730,000 for school buses.

You can check out the budget update here.

They will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to adopt a budget plan to put before voters. If you want to join as a view-only participant, click here to register.

The May 26 public hearing on that spending plan will also begin at 6:30 p.m. Click here to register.

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.

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.