Focusing on Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Budget Planning, the School Committee recently held the first of four budget workshops to review the initial draft and discuss key spending areas (cost centers). This update summarizes the highlights from the discussion from our Wednesday, November 19, 2025, workshop meeting.
The York School Department administration built the FY27 budget with a focus on reducing the tax burden. Administrators ranked all needs as Priority 1, 2, or 3, and Superintendent Doak’s current budget proposal will fund only the top two tiers. We are deferring Priority 3 operational maintenance needs to future years and will keep them in our long-term financial plan.
Business Administrator Kusturin guided the school committee through the following Cost Centers.
System Administration (Cost Center 6)
The draft budget for System Administration reflects a 0.16% decrease in spending.
Two significant updates were discussed in the System Administration budget: one to ensure accurate funding and the other to provide transparency regarding salaries.
1. Insurance and Liability Funding
In previous years, the amount budgeted for insurance (which protects our schools and district) was consistently too low, leading to annual budget shortfalls.
The Solution: To fix this recurring issue and accurately cover our insurance costs, the proposed FY27 budget for this item has been increased by 43%. This ensures the line item is fully funded moving forward, preventing future shortfalls.
2. Clarifying the Superintendent's Salary Line Item
We understand that the dollar figure listed under the 'Superintendent Salary' line item can cause confusion, as it appears higher than one salary.
Please Note: This budget line does not represent the Superintendent's pay alone. Instead, this single amount funds the equivalent of 1.5 full-time staff in the Central Office, covering:
100% of the Superintendent’s salary.
50% of the Assistant Superintendent’s salary.
The remaining 50% of the Assistant Superintendent's salary is intentionally allocated to the Student and Staff Support budget. This ensures that their salary expense is properly matched with the part of their job focused on student services and instructional oversight.
System Administration covers the essential, system-wide costs that keep our entire School Department running smoothly. This category includes salaries and benefits for our Central Office staff, including the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and the business/finance team that manages the school system's resources. In addition, System Administration pays for other necessary operational items, such as:
Audit & Legal Services: Fees for independent auditors and necessary legal advice to ensure compliance and financial health.
Dues & Fees: Payments to professional organizations.
Supplies & Equipment: General supplies, non-instructional equipment, and materials for administrative staff.
Copier Expenses: Leasing, maintenance, and supplies for Central Office copiers.
Telephones & Postage: Costs for phone systems and mailing/communication.
Advertising: Expenses for recruiting staff and legally required public announcements.
System Technology: Costs for hardware, software, and IT services supporting the district's network and administrative systems.
Professional Development & Training: Training funds for Central Office staff and administrators on management, finance, and compliance.
Staff Travel: Necessary travel expenses for Central Office staff (e.g., state meetings, essential training).
CO Contingency: A reserve fund set aside for unanticipated Central Office operational emergencies or expenses.
School Administration (Cost Center 7)
The draft budget for School Administration reflects a 5.24% decrease in spending.
This reduction is due to a natural salary savings realized from administrative transitions. Specifically, the retirement of several principals at the top of the salary scale at the end of the last fiscal year and the subsequent hiring of new building administrators at lower starting salaries has created ongoing savings for the district.
This budget center covers all the costs required to operate and manage the schools on a day-to-day basis:
Personnel: Building principal and clerical staff salaries and benefits.
Office Operations: Daily operational costs, including general supplies, copier expenses (and copy paper), and communications like telephones & postage.
Building & Equipment: Office repairs and maintenance, and non-instructional equipment.
Professional Requirements: Costs associated with staff travel, dues & fees, and professional development & training for school administrators.
Debt Service (Cost Center 10)
Debt Service covers the annual payments we make on money borrowed (bonds) to fund large, long-term capital projects like major building renovations and improvements across the district.
The current draft budget shows a 21% increase in Debt Service, or $486,000.
It is critical to note that this number is a temporary estimate. This figure does not reflect the final cost of the bonds for the new science rooms and the building siding projects, as those bonds have not yet been officially issued.
Since the final bonding process won't be completed until January 2026, this estimate uses the financial figures from the recent Athletic Complex bond as a placeholder. The final, accurate budget number for Debt Service will be updated and shared with the community once the new bonds are officially issued.
Stay Informed
This priority-focused budget is still a work in progress, and we appreciate you taking the time to understand it! We'll be sure to provide updates on the next set of cost centers in our Friday Focus. In the meantime, please feel free to join us at the upcoming School Committee workshop meetings - community involvement is always welcome!