Each of the seven public school districts across Sullivan County have offered up information on their upcoming budget and election votes on May 20. In part one, the budgets of Monticello, Eldred and Fallsburg are presented below.

MONTICELLO

The Monticello Central School District has proposed a $103,522,576 budget for the 2025–26 school year, which residents will vote on Tuesday, May 20. The proposed plan continues the district’s efforts to expand academic and athletic services while remaining below the state-mandated tax cap. Despite increases in mandated expenses—such as out-of-district special education placements, insurance premiums, and utilities—the district has presented a budget that prioritizes student support without significantly increasing the burden on local taxpayers.

This year’s budget includes the addition of several key staff positions, such as an elementary special education teacher, a reading teacher, an athletic trainer, and three account clerks who will allow the district to bring back in-house financial services that were previously contracted through BOCES. At the same time, cost containment measures have been taken through the reduction or non-replacement of positions vacated due to retirements or resignations, including a science teacher, a driver’s education teacher, a nurse, and certain custodial and support staff roles. Non-instructional services such as field trips, substitute coverage, and some BOCES programs will also see reductions.

The district emphasized that all existing extracurricular and athletic programs will remain in place. In addition, several instructional positions lost due to retirement will be replaced, including English, speech, special education, and elementary classroom teachers. The budget proposal reflects the district’s effort to balance program preservation with fiscal responsibility.

Also on the ballot this year is Proposition 2, which seeks voter approval to establish a new capital reserve fund not to exceed $10 million over a ten-year period. The fund would be used for future infrastructure improvements such as roof repairs and HVAC system replacements. Officials clarified that this proposition does not authorize any spending or raise taxes; rather, it enables the district to set aside surplus funds for long-term capital needs. A similar fund established in 2017 helped reduce the cost of the 2024 capital project by more than $14 million.

Three seats on the Monticello Board of Education are also up for election. Incumbent Jennifer Holmes is not seeking re-election, and two candidates—Roberto Bravo Colon and Melinda Gwiozdowski—are running to fill her seat. The other two incumbents, Ashley Rielly and Victoria LaRusso, are each running unopposed for re-election. All Board seats carry three-year terms.

Voting will be held on Tuesday, May 20, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at five polling sites across the district. Voters should report to their designated site based on their election district. Locations include the Robert J. Kaiser Middle School, the Duggan Community Center in White Lake, Emma C. Chase Elementary School in Wurtsboro, the Rock Hill Fire Department, and the Forestburgh Town Hall. Residents unsure of where to vote may contact the district clerk at (845) 794-7700, ext. 70523.

ELDRED

Residents in the Eldred Central School District will head to the polls on Tuesday, May 20 to vote on the proposed budget, a library proposition,  and a seat on the District’s Board of Education.

The proposed 2025-26 budget totals $20,348,487.

This year’s proposed budget reflects a 2.61% percent increase over last year’s adopted budget of $19,815,851.

“We are looking at 4.63 perc tax levy cap that includes capital outlay which allows us to improve security and smaller capital building projects,” stated Superintendent  Traci Ferreria. “We are also looking to increase security, work on floors. continue to support mental health resources...and we are continuing to be fiscally healthy and stay off the State fiscal stress list.”

In addition to the proposed budget, voters will decide on a proposition authorizing the Board of Education to levy taxes in the amount of $49,500 annually and pay that sum to the Board of Trustees of the Sunshine Hall Free Library.

According to a district information mailer, Board of Education member Beth Deyermond is running unopposed for to a four-year term. As always, voters have the option to write in a candidate.

In-person voting will be held at the Junior-Senior High School from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20.

FALLSBURG

The Annual District Election and Budget Vote of the Fallsburg Central School District will be held on Tuesday, May 20, at the Board of Education Room Alternative Space, Room 021 at the Fallsburg Junior Senior High School, 115 Brickman Rd, Fallsburg, NY, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents will vote to elect three members of the Board of Education, each for a three-year term (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2028) in lieu of vacancies arising from the expiration of terms of Arlene Hussey, Regina McKenny-Snead and Fiorella Muscia. District Clerk Sarah Satz said McKenny-Snead and Muscia will both be running for their seats again and Wasima Sahid is running for Hussey’s seat. 

They will also vote on the adoption of the Budget of the School District for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the School District. The 2025-2026 total budget is $65,206,794.

Superintendent Dr. Ivan Katz said, “planning of the budget by the board and district balances the needs of the students with the capacity of taxpayers. The committee did a great job of doing that with a 1.5 percent tax levy increase, and over the last 7 years we’ve had a 0.73 percent average tax levy decrease.”