2025-26 Proposed Budget Information

Dear Suffern Central Community, 

The proposed budget for the 2025-26 school year maintains and enhances the variety of strong programs for which Suffern Central is known. Despite rising external costs, the Superintendent and Board of Education remain focused on meeting students' educational needs while managing taxpayer dollars.

With your support, the 2025-26 budget will continue our ability to provide rigorous, engaging learning experiences and educational opportunities for every student. Those include expanding a two-way dual language program, creating new pathways to learn, supporting our robust music, arts and athletic departments and supporting the social and emotional needs of our student body. 

The proposed budget also addresses significant economic challenges that include: 

• Significant increase in transportation costs
• Managing increased costs for employee benefits and health insurance
• Rising operational expenses including insurance
• Expiration of COVID related funding 

Suffern Central is committed to educating for personal excellence, and our budget, which remains within the tax cap, allows us to keep our current structures and programs in place to ensure academic readiness and support our instructional practices next year. 

Budget Priorities:

• Furthering the Science of Reading implementation
• Enhancing teaching and learning experience through introduction of AVID
• Expanding our bilingual opportunities for all students
• Maintaining all academic programming
• Standardizing consistent and efficient class sizes
• Support ongoing security and maintenance needs

With this fiscally prudent approach to both short-term and long-range planning, Suffern Central continues to be mindful of our commitment to the taxpayers. Suffern Central consistently maintains an average tax levy that is at or below the state tax cap and below the consumer price index. This year's overall budget increase is 3.8% while the increase in the local tax levy is a 2.9% increase over last year. 

The school budget vote and Board Trustee election will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM at your designated school polling location.

We are excited about the opportunities the proposed 2025-26 budget offers for our students, made possible by your support. 

Sincerely,
 

Suffern Central Board of Education

P. Erik Gundersen, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools