New Rochelle Schools Public Budget Hearing On Tuesday

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The final public hearing on the proposed 2021-22 budget for the City School District of New Rochelle will be held at 7pm on May 4.

The virtual meeting will detail the spending plan for the upcoming school year. The proposed budget is $290,659,689 with a 2.29 percent increase over the 2020-21 spending package.

“This is a fiscally responsible budget that meets the increasing academic, social and emotional needs of our students while minimizing the impact on taxpayers,” Interim Superintendent Alex Marrero said in a statement of the spending plan that was unanimously passed by the school board.

School officials said the tax levy of $218,482,351 will increase by 2.29 percent if the budget is approved by voters later this month.

Update: A prior version of this story listed a proposed 3.01 percent tax levy increase. The number was from an earlier budget proposal made prior to additional school funding being made available from state and federal sources and has since been changed to reflect the school board approved 2.29 percent levy increase.

The spending plan calls for the hiring of 12 new teachers, three teaching assistants, a teacher's aide, a theater manager and a clerical assistant. The new positions will help the school district to meet state-mandated staffing requirements for special education.

Two board of education seats for five-year terms and one seat for a one-year term are also on the ballot. Voters will also be asked to approve or reject the New Rochelle Public Library Board of Trustees proposed budget for 2021-22.

The proposed library budget will increase by 2.7 percent over the previous year and would mean a $10.01 increase in taxes for the average homeowner.

The annual budget vote will be from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on May 18. Polls will be at 13 locations in the city. Your polling location can be found here.

The Zoom link and phone-in information for those wishing to attend Tuesdays budget hearing will be posted on the City School District of New Rochelle website prior to the meeting. Join the meeting at the link here.