A Message from the Board of Education Regarding the Upcoming Budget Re-Vote

To the Eastchester Community, 

The past several weeks have been challenging and emotional for all of us. They have brought strong perspectives, meaningful dialogue, and a high level of community engagement. That engagement matters—and it reflects a shared commitment to the strength of our schools and the future of Eastchester’s children. We would like to sincerely thank our administrative team for their hard work, dedication, and tireless efforts throughout this process.  

Over the past several years, the District has made deliberate investments shaped directly by community priorities, including those identified in the February 2023 survey. These investments strengthened school safety, expanded mental health services, enhanced academic supports, and broadened opportunities in athletics, language, and the arts. They were made with the clear intent of advancing student outcomes and maintaining a high standard of education. 

Those efforts have delivered measurable results. Student performance has improved, opportunities have expanded, and more students are accessing competitive post-secondary pathways. At the same time, the financial realities behind sustaining these gains have become increasingly complex. 

Many of you have asked how we arrived at this point. Like households across our community, the District is navigating a period of sustained cost escalation. Transportation, utilities, healthcare, and contractual obligations have all risen significantly, alongside an unanticipated $3 million increase in special education costs. Additionally, state aid has declined, further widening the financial gap. These conditions are not unique to Eastchester—districts across Westchester and New York State are facing similar pressures. Over the past three years, many districts have exceeded the tax cap in order to preserve student programs and services: Blind Brook (8.71%), Rye (6.91%), Bronxville (5.8%), Byram Hills (5.25%), Mamaroneck (4.98%), Harrison (4.49%), Scarsdale (4.45%), and New Rochelle (3.95%).  

Eastchester, however, has never pierced the tax cap. After extensive thought and consideration, and in an effort to preserve as many programs as possible, the district asked the community to support a 6.31% tax levy increase. We understood this was a significant request and when the budget was voted down, we heard your message clearly. 

A revised budget will be presented to voters on Tuesday, June 16. This is the district’s final opportunity to adopt a budget for the upcoming school year. The proposed budget is now aligned with the state-mandated tax cap of 2.35%.To achieve this 2.35% tax levy increase, the district had to make difficult reductions across a wide range of areas, including personnel, safety and security, athletics, the arts, special education, and mental health and wellness programs. We understand that many members of the community are deeply concerned about these cuts, and we share those concerns. 

To be clear, neither the District nor the Board of Education want to make these reductions. This is precisely why we initially proposed and supported a 6.31% tax levy increase. Our own children attend Eastchester schools and have benefited from the district’s wide range of academic programs, special services, athletics, and arts offerings. 

However, because the initial budget proposal was not approved, we are now faced with the difficult reality of making significant reductions and challenging decisions.   

If this revised budget does not pass, the District will be legally required by New York State to operate under a contingency budget next year. This would necessitate an additional $5.2 million in reductions, resulting in even more significant cuts to staffing, programs, student opportunities, and services across all grade levels. Many extracurricular clubs and athletic programs would be eliminated. In addition, non-EUFSD organizations would legally no longer be permitted to use school grounds and facilities, including summer town camp, PTAs, Sports Club, extra summer programming, Eastchester Little League, and Eastchester Youth Soccer Association. A contingency budget would have dire consequences for our district. It is imperative that this second budget proposal passes.  

Beyond the budget vote, the District is also actively exploring additional opportunities to reduce costs. As part of this effort, a separate proposition regarding transportation eligibility will appear before voters on June 16. 

Transportation has become one of the district’s most significant inflationary cost pressures and currently exceeds $5 million annually. This proposition would not eliminate busing services; rather, it would adjust the minimum walking distance required to qualify for transportation. While we recognize that many families rely on this service, Eastchester currently provides transportation at a more generous level than many neighboring districts, offering busing to students who live as close as 0.2 miles from their schools. 

Under the proposed change, transportation eligibility would begin at 1 mile for students in grades K–5 and 1.5 miles for students in grades 6–12. If approved, the change would generate approximately $1,927,184 in annual savings, helping to reduce the need for personnel reductions and other program cuts. We believe it is important to give the community a direct voice in determining whether these savings should be realized. It is also important to note that this transportation proposition is entirely separate from the budget vote, providing residents with a distinct opportunity to weigh in on one potential area for cost savings. 

In addition, we recently learned that Eastchester may receive one-time emergency state funding. We would like to sincerely thank Senator Shelley Mayer and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin for their advocacy on behalf of Eastchester Schools and their efforts to help secure these funds. We would also like to thank Supervisor Colavita for his partnership, unwavering support, and tireless advocacy on behalf of our schools. His commitment and leadership have been instrumental in helping advance opportunities for our students and community.

While we await final details and confirmation, it is important to understand that the vast majority of this funding is restricted to specific capital purposes and cannot be used to support the district’s ongoing operational expenses, such as personnel, programming, or transportation. Instead, the funding is expected to be limited to infrastructure-related investments, including construction, renovations, equipment, and technology improvements. We are grateful to everyone who has advocated for Eastchester throughout this challenging budget process. 

It is still extremely important that our community come out on Tuesday, June 16 to vote on the budget. Regardless of any one-time funding we may receive this year to help offset costs, if the budget vote does not pass next Tuesday, June 16, the district will still move to contingency. 

Thank you to everyone who has reached out with questions; we welcome your continued dialogue and constructive feedback. Most importantly, we hope the community can come together around a shared goal: doing what is best for Eastchester’s children. 

Sincerely, 

The EUFSD Board of Trustees