Proposed $347M New Rochelle School Budget On The Ballot May 21

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The 2024 budget and school board vote is May 21, and four seats are up for election on the New Rochelle Board of Education.

The proposed spending plan of $347,487,639 is 9.9 percent higher than the current budget.

The tax levy is expected to rise 3.95 percent, which amounts to $444 yearly for a New Rochelle homeowner with an assessed value of $16,000.

District officials said that the budget would support: advanced placement, seals of biliteracy and civics, career and technical education pathways at NRHS, social-emotional supports for K-12, performing and visual arts education, Kaleidoscope, magnet options for elementary students, districtwide teacher-student ratio of 1:20, robotics, speech & debate, athletic teams, and 22 new special education positions.

"Our priority is to educate the whole child: academically, socially, emotionally, artistically, athletically, and civically," Superintendent Corey W. Reynolds said. "We remain committed to achieving the goals outlined in our five-year Strategic Plan, educating and embracing the whole child and supporting programs that produce positive outcomes for our diverse student body, including maintaining all current staff to continue our programming."

Proposition #2 on the ballot will ask voters whether the district should use $10 million in capital reserves to complete pool repairs. This proposition would not impact rates for taxpayers and would maintain a reserve fund.

Proposition #3 on the ballot will ask voters whether the district should establish a new capital reserve fund. This would not impact the current tax levy.

Four board seats will be up for election. Two five-year terms will start July 1, 2024 and end June 30, 2029. One vacancy will fill the remainder of a term beginning May 21, 2024 and end on June 30, 2027. One vacancy will fill the remainder of a term beginning May 21, 2024 and end on June 30, 2026.

Candidates running include: Gwen Clayton-Fernandes, Myriam Decime, William Ianuzzi (incumbent), Vincent Malfetano, Philip Sidoti, Sam Singal, and Valarie D. Williams (incumbent).

The League of Women Voters hosted a candidate forum to allow the candidates to make their cases to directly to the voters. A recording of the forum with questions submitted by the public can be found here.

In addition, two candidates, Vera Salter and Nancy Weinberger, are running for two, five-year term vacancies on the Library Board of Trustees.

The New Rochelle Public Library is proposing a $7,034,006.45 budget, which is a 5.9 percent increase in the tax levy, which amounts to $21.29 per household for the "average taxpayer."