Catskill voters to decide on $51.7 million school budget

CATSKILL―Voters in the Catskill Central School District will head to the polls later this month to vote on a proposed $51,742,991 budget that carries a 2.19% tax levy increase, slightly under the allowable 2.29% state property tax cap for the district.

Spending is up $2,123,389, or 4.28%, over the 2025-26 budget.

The budget comes with no layoffs and no cuts to student programs even though district officials were faced with a roughly $3 million year-to-year budget gap attributed to rises in health insurance, prescription plan premiums and transportation costs. Compounding the shortfall is the expiration of one-time federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Stronger Connections grants, according to the district.

To keep the tax levy increase below the state cap, the district utilized $2,992,839 in fund balance and $2,117,000 in reserves.

“Our budget is a commitment to long-term stability. By maintaining our essential staffing and growing our programs while staying below the tax cap, we are ensuring a sustainable future for our students and community as a whole,” said Superintendent of Schools Junait Shah.

As part of the budget, staff is being reduced by one aide position, through attrition, based on student enrollment. According to the district, officials also addressed duplicative or underperforming service contracts, and reduced BOCES spending by $500,000.

However, the budget also calls for the addition of summer school programming at the high school and expansion of the elementary summer school program from grades K-3 to grades K-6, as well as funding for the Kids Club after-school program, increasing of BOCES communication services, and addition of an administrative position that was cut in 2025.

“With consistent leadership and a clear vision, it is our goal to leverage every opportunity we have to remain fiscally disciplined while providing the resources our students need to thrive,” said Shah.

Voters will also be filling four seats on the board of education. They include three, three-year terms, running from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2029, that are currently held by Michael Dedrick; Charles Holtz, who was appointed following Ryan Osswald’s resignation; and Paul Brown, who was appointed after Joseph Izzo resigned.

A fourth seat is to immediately fill the unexpired term of Shah, who stepped down to be considered for superintendent, and runs through June 30, 2028.

Running for those seats are Dedrick, Holtz and Brown, and any seat may also be filled by a write-in candidate.

Catskill’s 2025-26 budget passed last year, 565-264, and totaled $49,619,679 with an estimated 2% tax levy increase.

The budget vote and board of education election is Tuesday, May 19 from 1-9 p.m. in the high school gymnasium.