Pine Plains Central School District voters rejected the district’s proposed 2026-27 budget Tuesday, May 19, after the spending plan failed to secure the 60% supermajority required for passage.
The budget received 458 yes votes and 432 no votes, with 51.5% of voters supporting the proposal. Because the district’s spending plan exceeded the state tax cap, it needed at least 60% approval to pass.
At a Board of Education meeting held after the polls closed on Tuesday night, board members certified the results.
The vote leaves the district to decide whether to resubmit the same budget, propose a revised spending plan, or eventually adopt a contingency budget if voters reject a second proposal. District officials had previously warned that a revised budget brought under the tax cap could require at least $291,000 in additional cuts. A contingency budget could require deeper reductions.
The proposed $40.78 million budget represented a 5.34% increase over the current year and came after the school board had already approved $491,000 in cuts to programs and services, including the elementary enrichment program, two 5 p.m. bus routes and new equipment purchases.
Voters also approved a separate bus purchase proposition, 489 to 403. The measure authorizes the district to buy two 71-passenger buses and three 35-passenger buses, with the purchase funded through a bus reserve previously approved by voters.
In the school board race, incumbent James Griffin was reelected to a three-year term with 541 votes. Amie Buehler was elected with 516 votes. Brooke Brown received 460 votes, according to the district’s results.