Port Chester Sets Hearing On $109M School Budget For 2020-21

PORT CHESTER, NY — Port Chester Public Schools will hold its annual budget hearing on May 28. The proposed spending Port Chester administrators and trustees are putting before voters is $109.4 million.

Port Chester's budget grew by $5,653,407, or 5.45 percent, from the 2019-2020 school year. A tax levy increase of 2.78 percent is proposed. You can check out the draft spending plan for 2020-21.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has warned that the economic effect of the shutdown imposed to curb the outbreak could mean much less money available for state education aid. The state will be assessing and adjusting its budget several times in the course of 2020. Cuomo's last estimate was that state aid would be 20 percent lower than already promised.

The school said in its budget proposal that it expects around $32 million in state aid next year, a year-over-year increase of $1.4 million. The district's budget allows for a 4 percent fund balance effective July 1 that should offset revenue loss in the coming year.

Things to know:

• School district budget votes and school board elections are by absentee ballot only in 2020.
• Absentee ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in the district the week of May 25.
• If you are not registered, you may register by mail with the County Board of Elections or apply through the state online.

To vote, you must be:

• A United States citizen
• At least 18 yrs of age by June 9, 2020
• A resident of the district by May 10, 2020
• Cannot have been disqualified from voting based upon a reason described in Election Law §5-106.