Above photo: The Sharon Springs Central School District Board discussed the 2026-2027 budget at its Feb. 23 meeting. Photo by Chris English.

SHARON SPRINGS _ Officials with the Sharon Springs Central School District are starting to put together the 2026-2027 budget, and it's not a very pretty picture.

In comments about next school year's budget outlook at the Monday, Feb. 23 school board meeting, district Business Manager Tony DiPace touched in particular on year-to-year foundation state aid increases for smaller, rural schools like Sharon Springs and his feeling that they are not nearly large enough. Sharon Springs and school districts across Schoharie County are scheduled to receive only a 1 percent increase in foundation state aid for 2026-27, DiPace said.

"This cannot go on," he emphasized. "Schools like our's cannot survive it. This is a state problem and they have to figure it out and raise it because they are running schools out of business."

Hikes of only 1 percent don't come close to keeping up with rising expenses like double digit percentage increases in health insurance and significant increases in many other areas, DiPace and Superintendent Tom Yorke noted. Compounding the problem is the state cap on property tax increases every year that doesn't allow schools to make up for the miniscule state aid increases, DIPace added. Sharon Springs' tax increase cap has been set at 2.4 percent for next school year, he said.

"It's embarrassing for the state to give us 1 percent (increase in foundation aid)," DiPace stated. "The 1 percent is pathetic in this day and age." He added it's possible the state may still increase the amount but he wasn't at all optimistic about that happening.

DiPace urged state legislators representing Schoharie County to press harder for greater increases in state aid. On other aspects of next school year's budget, DiPace said he has projected the 2.4 percent tax increase for 2026-27. School Districts can exceed their tax caps with a 60 percent supermajority from voters, but he doesn't foresee Sharon Springs putting a budget with a tax increase of more than 2.4 percent before voters on May 19.

The district will likely spend about $250,000 more of its fund balance (surplus) this school year, leaving $1.4 million in fund balance. DiPace said he is projecting to use $1 million of that in 2026-27 but doubts the district will end up using that much. Nothing on next school year's budget is set in stone at this point and changes and adjustments can be made until the document is finalized and put before voters on May 19. The district tries hard to budget conservatively and strives to achieve savings and efficiencies whenever possible, DiPace noted.

Sharon Springs had some staff layoffs this school year and it's possible more could be coming for 2026-27.

"We've managed to keep taxpayers fairly happy over the years but we've done so by spending our savings," DiPace continued. "We may not be there anymore."

School Board President Helen Roberts urged more district residents to attend board meetings and educate themselves on the struggles the board faces to keep the district running.

"Please come to meetings," she said. "The more people we can make aware of the problems, the better chance we have of passing a budget." The board meets one Monday night a month at 6 p.m. and the schedule is generally posted on the school district website. The next meeting is scheduled for March 9.

The other major item at the Feb. 23 meeting was the board's approval of a bus purchase resolution which states the intention to buy a $175,000 full-sized, 66-passenger gasoline-powered school bus to be put into service next school year. To go forward, the purchase must be approved by voters as a proposition to be put on the May 19 ballot.

DiPace said he will put in for a state waiver allowing for purchase of a non-electric bus.

"Things have quieted down on electric bus issues it seems like," Roberts said, referring to state mandates that school districts transition into electric buses.

"We're not prepared for an electric bus," added DiPace, saying the district does not have the required charging station or other infrastructure needed for the vehicles. He also cited the high price of electric buses as being a big obstacle.

"They're in the $400,000 to $500,000 range, depending on what you get," DiPace said. He added Sharon Springs will not meet the current state guideline of having an all-electric bus fleet by 2028 and would be fortunate to have one electric bus by then.

Larger school districts have been able to transition to electric buses faster. They are often in more populated but less spread out and less hilly districts that make it easier for them to use electric buses, and are also better able to afford them, DiPace pointed out.

"Bethlehem has a complete set (of electric buses) but they are having trouble from what I hear," he said.

The board approved personnel actions at the end of the Feb. 23 meeting, accepting the resignation of part-time art teacher Jamie Wilber, hiring part-time art teacher Natalie Frank and hiring non-certified substitute Isabel Garcia.