No Tax Increase For BCS

Brookfield Central School District’s proposed 2025-26 budget will decrease the tax levy.

BCS Superintendent Ron Pavlus said in his budget message to residents that the 2024-25 tax levy was $1,705,215.

The proposed 2025-26 tax levy is $1,687,581. The $17,634 decrease will result in no tax increase to the community.

The District will be utilizing approximately $200,000 in

fund balance.

Brookfield expects an increase in state aid of $77,971.

BOCES aid will also increase, projected at $68,864 more.

Building aid will drop by $340,106 because BCS has paid off debt and will no longer receive building aid on this debt.

With the end of federal pandemic recovery money, BCS has implemented a variety of academic interventions.

Pavlus said the goal is to be able to continue to offer this assistance to our students.

These include after-school and summer programs to small group instruction.

Pavlus said these added services have made a positive impact on student academics.

The Program portion of the budget is increasing $321,368 to keep these services. Higher costs for Special Education services also contribute to the increase.

Cost of electricity is estimated to increase 15 percent next year.

The total proposed budget expenses of $8,311,445 is up about $13,600 from this year’s budget, or .16 percent.