From the Superintendent of Schools
Dear New Rochelle School Community:
I am writing to provide you with a comprehensive update on the development of our 2025-2026 school district budget. Last night, the budget team and I presented detailed spending plans to the Board of Education, covering Athletics, Benefits and Debt Service, Curriculum and Instruction, Special Education, and Student Support Services. You can view the presentation on our website and watch the Board of Education meeting on YouTube.
Despite our continued advocacy with state lawmakers and their efforts on our behalf with Governor Hochul, we have not received an increase in state funding. Consequently, we are facing a significant $20.2 million gap.
To address this shortfall, we re-propose the following measures:
• We are asking the BOE to override the tax cap with a tax levy increase of 3.95%.
• We will rebalance our classrooms by slightly increasing class sizes within optimal teacher-student ratios.
• We will maintain needed mental health and social-emotional support for our students.
• We will alter the elementary school bell schedules to reduce the number of buses, bus drivers, and monitors by up to half.
• We will reduce contracted services and reevaluate the use of overtime.
• We have frozen hiring in certification areas and positions that are targeted for a workforce reduction.
• We will reduce our workforce by up to 200 positions districtwide, including administrators, teachers, clinicians, custodians, civil-service trades workers, monitors, and security staff.
The workforce reduction is the most difficult decision we have had to make. These are our dedicated colleagues and friends, and we understand the profound impact this will have on them and our entire school community. Please know this decision was not made lightly and is unavoidable, even with the proposed tax levy increase.
In a show of solidarity and support for our New Rochelle taxpayers and our colleagues, my extended cabinet – which includes four assistant superintendents, two executive directors, a business administrator and a director – has joined me in voluntarily forgoing scheduled salary increases in the coming year.
We encourage you to stay informed and participate in the budget process. Here are some key upcoming dates:
• Board of Education Budget Adoption: Held on March 20, at Davis Elementary School. The public portion of the meeting begins at approximately 7:00 p.m.
• PTA and Community Meetings: Individual school PTAs and community organizations are scheduling meetings to discuss the budget. Please attend these sessions to learn more and share your feedback.
• Public Hearing: Tuesday, May 6 at New Rochelle High School at 7:00 p.m.
• Budget Vote: Tuesday, May 20.
You may send questions to budgetquestions@nredlearn.org.
Should the budget fail to pass, we will have an opportunity to again present the proposal or to present a revised budget proposal on June 17. If that budget also fails, we will be forced to implement a contingency budget at last year’s spending level, resulting in an additional $9.2 million deficit and further workforce reductions.
We are committed to fiscal responsibility and providing a high-quality education for our students. While this is a challenging time, we are confident that by working together, we will emerge stronger and continue to help every student reach their full potential.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Corey W. Reynolds
Superintendent of Schools