The Pine Plains Central School District Board of Education adopted a $40,778,791 budget at its April 21 meeting, cutting $491,000 in programs and services.
Superintendent Brian Timm introduced the series of budget cuts during the April 7 board meeting, calling them the “least impactful” options available. His proposal includes eliminating elementary enrichment, canceling a planned hire for Academic Intervention Services (AIS), and discontinuing the two 5 p.m. bus routes. Additionally, the district plans to freeze all new equipment purchases.
The cuts, officials said, are intended to limit the tax levy increase to 4.43%. Even so, the 2026-27 proposed budget exceeds the state tax cap by 1.03%, meaning it will require a 60% supermajority vote to pass at the polls next month. The $40.78 million spending plan represents a $2,066,455 increase over current spending.
The board’s initial budget for the coming academic year was $41,269,791 — a $2,557,455 spending jump that would have raised the total levy to 6.19%, and pierced the tax cap by 2.79%.
Courtesy Pine Plains Central School District
Despite surpassing its levy limit, Business Official Laura Rafferty told the school board that the district’s true value tax rate remains one of the lowest in Dutchess County—ranking 11th out of 13 districts. (The true tax rate is the percentage of a home’s current market value, rather than its typically lower assessed value.)
Rafferty detailed the factors she said are behind rising district expenditures, which includes a 10% surge in employee health premiums and BOCES fees. “We still don’t have a final figure for our general liability insurance, which we expect to increase by 16%,” she said. Adding to the uncertainty is Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed 2026-27 executive budget, which remains unknown. Rafferty said that it remains in limbo, as the legislature passed a fifth budget extender, pushing the deadline to April 22.
The school district expects to receive $8.6 million in total state aid for the upcoming academic year. Foundation Aid makes up roughly 75% of that total ($6,586,823), although Timm has warned the board that future state budget cuts could slash that funding by as much as $4 million. The looming threat of reduced aid, coupled with declining enrollment, led the board to consider closing one or more of its three schools in July 2024. That consolidation debate is currently tabled while the Building Utilization Advisory Committee—formed in February—prepares a report due Sept. 30.
Echoing her comments from a previous board meeting, President Amie Fredericks said, “We had a [fiscal] solution in January, and we still have a solution. This budget includes programming cuts — we knew then that this would be the impact, and here we are.”
During public comments, Stanfordville parent Nathaniel Kimball said he was disappointed that the cuts were largely to school programs. “There needs to be a deep dive that evaluates building and staffing [costs],” he said. “I want to think there’s a better way.”
Another Stanfordville parent, Brooke Brown — who led the effort to delay the consolidation vote and serves on the Building Utilization Advisory Committee — expressed frustration with Fredericks’ comments. Brown questioned why it was suggested that a solution was already in place when the advisory committee had only just started its work.
The board approved the district’s annual property tax report card, a document comparing current and proposed budgets and tax levies. Rafferty said the report will be submitted to the New York State Education Department on the following day. “We will also [contact] the state comptroller’s office and adjust our tax levy downward,” she said.
The district’s 2026-27 budget will be one of two propositions on the May 19 ballot. The other measure up for voter approval is for the purchase of two 71-passenger and three 35-passenger school buses, totaling $750,276.55. The vehicles are funded through the bus purchase reserve fund previously authorized in May 2022.
School board elections will also be on the ballot. Three candidates will run for two board seats that will be open on July 1. The candidates include incumbent James Griffin, and Stanford residents Amie Buehler and Brooke Brown.
In other business, the board approved a letter written by Timm in support of a petition filed by the Lower Hudson Education Coalition. The state legislature has set a deadline of July 1, 2027 for all school buses to achieve zero-emission by conversion to electric vehicles. The coalition, representing 96 school districts, is calling for an investigation into whether local utilities can support the power grid required for bus electrification.
Finally, the school board greenlit the high school’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) July trip to the national competition in Washington, D.C. Students Michelle Blackburn, (senior), and juniors Griffin Atkinson and Izzy Montoya detailed the projects that earned them spots at the event. (Absent members Maily Scofield and Alina Fouts also participated in the activity.) Their work featured a sports nutrition meal plan, and “Operation Backpack” — which will distribute 78 bags of business-donated first aid, hygiene, and school supplies to local nonprofits.
The next Board of Education meeting will be held in the Stissing Mountain Junior-Senior High School library on Tuesday, May 5, at 6:30 p.m. It will include a public budget hearing.