Budget Information

2020-2021 Budget Overview

Proposed budget 2020-2021 school year: $183,999,908

Tax levy increase: 1.51 percent, below tax “cap” of 2.07 percent

Spending increase: 1.50 percent or $2,723,599

For additional information, the 2020-2021 Budget Statement contains details of the proposed budget.

Monroe-Woodbury residents will vote exclusively via absentee ballot on a $183,999,908 proposed budget for the 2020-21 school year. The proposed budget, which carries a spending increase of $2,723,599 or 1.50 percent, will result in a tax levy increase of $1,857,000 or 1.51 percent, which is below the district’s legal limit as defined by New York’s tax levy cap legislation.

2020-2021 Budget Newsletter

Q&A from Crusader Chat & link to Crusader Chat on YouTube

Updates related to voting by absentee ballot

Voting by absentee ballot Q&A  – including brief informational video

June 8 – Mailing deadline extended per governor’s Executive Order

Due to the statewide delay in the mailing of ballots, Governor Cuomo has extended the deadline for school districts to receive school budget ballots. Per the governor’s updated Executive Order issued on June 7, 2020, the school district may accept school ballots in two ways:

  • By hand delivery through 5 p.m on Tuesday, June 9. Please remember that individuals other than the voter may drop off the completed ballot. Ballot boxes will be available at the following locations on Monday, June 8 from 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Tuesday, June 9 from 6 a.m. – 5 p.m.:
    • Central Valley Elementary, 45 Route 32, Central
    • Education Center, 278 Route 32, Central Valley
    • North Main Elementary, 212 North Main Street, Monroe
    • Pine Tree Elementary, 156 Pine Tree Road, Monroe

Per the Governor’s Executive Order, the ballot box drop off option will not be available after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9. 

  • By mail through Tuesday, June 16. We encourage voters to mail their ballots to the district as soon as possible to ensure their arrival before the deadline. Ballots received after the 5:00 p.m. deadline on June 16 will not be counted. 

Ballot counting will begin at 5 p.m on Tuesday, June 16 and will continue on Wednesday, June 17, if necessary. Voting results will be shared upon the completion of ballot counting. The counting process will be live streamed. More information will be shared soon. 

June 5, 2020 – Update regarding absentee ballots

To help facilitate drop off of completed ballots, the school district has extended hours and added weekend days to the ballot drop off availability. The schedule will be as follows:

DATES: Friday, June 5 & Monday, June 8
TIME: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
LOCATIONS:
Central Valley Elementary, 45 Route 32, Central Valley
Pine Tree Elementary, 156 Pine Tree Road, Monroe
Education Center, 278 Route 32, Central Valley

DATES: Saturday, June 6 & Sunday, June 7
TIME: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
LOCATION:
Education Center, 278 Route 32, Central Valley

DATE: Tuesday, June 9
TIME: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
LOCATIONS:
Central Valley Elementary, 45 Route 32, Central Valley
Pine Tree Elementary, 156 Pine Tree Road, Monroe
Education Center, 278 Route 32, Central Valley

The district understands that some residents may have extenuating circumstances that prevent them from delivering completed ballots during these time periods. Please contact District Clerk Donna Vitucci at 845-460-6200, ext. 6203 to make special arrangements.

Board of Education adopts proposed budget for 2020-2021 school year, residents to vote exclusively by absentee ballot by June 9

On Tuesday, May 19, the members of the Monroe-Woodbury Board of Education adopted a $183,999,908 proposed budget for the 2020-2021 school year. The proposed budget carries a 1.51 percent tax levy increase, which is below Monroe-Woodbury’s allowable tax “cap” of 2.07 percent and maintains instructional student programs for the 2020- 2021 school year. In light of these unprecedented times and extraordinary challenges, the district’s primary focus continues to be on providing a high quality education for all students, while being fiscally responsible to taxpayers.

District residents will be asked to vote on a proposed budget of $183,999,908 for the 2020-2021 school year. The proposed budget includes a spending increase of 1.50 percent, or $2,723,599, compared to the 2019-2020 budget. The tax levy would increase by 1.51 percent from a budgeted $122,878,000 in 2019-2020 to a proposed $124,735,000 for 2020-2021, which is below the maximum allowable limit of 2.07 percent.

This year’s school budget vote and Board of Education election will take place on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, exclusively by absentee ballot due to the COVID-19 public health crisis (as directed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo via an executive order issued Friday, May 1). Absentee ballots with self addressed, postage paid envelopes will be mailed by the district to all qualified voters. There is no in-person voting this year..

In addition to the proposed budget, residents will be asked to approve the purchase of five 72-passenger school buses, one 72-passenger school bus with undercarriage storage, two 29-passenger school bus vans, and one 20-passenger wheelchair accessible school bus van as part of the district’s replacement plan. The total cost is not to exceed $1,009,900 and state aid would cover approximately 60 percent of the expense. The district would be reimbursed over a five-year period.

District residents will also elect three members to the Board of Education for three-year terms to fill the seats of Board members Donald Beeler, Daniel A. Ezratty and Jonathan Huberth, whose terms expire at the end of the school year. The candidates who receive the most votes will be appointed to these positions. Their terms will commence on July 1, 2020 and will expire on June 30, 2023.

The candidates are (listed in alphabetical order):

Donald Beeler
Michael J. Ciriello
Daniel A. Ezratty
Jonathan Huberth

More information about the proposed budget will be mailed to district residents and posted to the district website.

2020 Annual Budget Vote/Election to be held June 9 by absentee ballot

In an executive order issued on Friday, May 1, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that this year’s school budget vote and board of education election will take place on June 9, exclusively by absentee ballot due to the COVID-19 public health crisis.

The executive order establishes a timeline of actions that schools must undertake leading up to this date, including sending an absentee ballot with a prepaid return envelope to all qualified voters. Qualified voters are defined as U.S citizens, at least 18 years old by June 9, 2020, and they must be a district resident for at least 30 days prior to the vote. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, there will be no personal voter registration held at school district offices prior to the June 9, 2020 vote.

If you are not registered, you can register with the County Board of Elections by mail or remotely through the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles website at: https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registration-application. If individuals are currently registered to vote with the district, they will automatically receive an absentee ballot and do not need to register.

To find out if you are registered to vote, use this link:
https://vip.ntsteamed.com/Search/VoterSearch

Following budget adoption, the district will make the proposed budget available to the public, hold a budget hearing (which will take place remotely), and mail a budget notice to all residents after the budget hearing. This procedure is no different than other years except for the hearing being held remotely.

Board of Education Election

The order also waived the minimum signature threshold for board of education candidates and states that candidates must meet all of the other requirements to run for the board. These include being qualified voters, must read and write, and having lived in the district continuously for one year prior to the election.

Prospective candidates must complete a M-W JUNE 2020 Board Petition and make an appointment with District Clerk Donna Vitucci, [email protected]. This petition must be received by the District Clerk (via fax, mail, or email) not later than Monday, May 11, 2020, by 5:00 p.m.

Revised 2020 Budget Calendar

(approved by Board of Education at May 6, 2020 meeting)

April 1

Board Budget Presentation – Instructional Instructional Programs and Special Education and Educational Support Services

May 11

Nominating petitions due to district clerk

May 18

Board of Education Presentation – Personnel and Benefits and Superintendent’s Recommendation

May 19

Board of Education Decision/Adoption

May 27

Public Budget Hearing

June 16 (extended per governor’s Executive Order, 6/7/20)

School District Budget Vote by absentee ballot

        Voter eligibility

        You are eligible to vote if you are a United States citizen, 18 years or older, and a resident of the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District for at least 30 days prior to the annual vote date.

        If you are registered to vote in general elections, you are automatically eligible to vote in school elections. If you are not registered, you can obtain a registration form in the office of the district clerk, at any school building or  visit the NYS Register to Vote page for more information.

        Special Voter Registration

        Special voter registration will be held at the Education Center at 278 Route 32, Central Valley. Dates will be announced for 2020.

        Absentee ballots

          Absentee ballots are available to registered residents who are unable to vote in person for reasons of illness or disability or who will be out of town on the date of the vote. Applications for absentee ballots are available from the District Clerk by calling (845)460-6200 ext. 6203 or by downloading the Application for Absentee Ballot.

          Building a school budget for the future

          Developing the annual budget is a year-round process. On the third Tuesday of each May, that process culminates when residents go to the polls to vote on a school budget proposal for the following year and to elect Board of Education members.

          Read more about creating a school budget.

          Budget fact sheets (in PDF format)

          Three Tax Levy Numbers
          Tax Levy “Cap” formula
          School mandates and mandate relief in New York State
          Today’s contingent budgets