The Rome City School District will present a new 2026-2027 proposed budget to residents at a public hearing at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, Superintendent Nerlande Anselme announced in a letter to the Rome community dated May 22.
A vote on the new proposed budget will then take place on Tuesday, June 16.
The district’s initial proposed budget was defeated by voters — by a margin of 24 votes — in the school elections on May 19, the only local budget to be defeated.
The original $165.6 million proposed budget included a tax levy increase of 2.89%.
“We recognize that one of the most consistent concerns expressed by voters was the impact of rising costs and the level of the proposed tax levy increase,” Anselme wrote. “We also understand that even modest increases can feel significant for households already managing broader economic pressures. That message was heard clearly and taken seriously.”
Revised proposal
The revised proposal, which has been accepted by the school board as the district’s budgetary path forward, “responds directly to community feedback, including concerns about cost, while maintaining planned investments in student learning and school safety,” she said.
The new proposed budget, according to Anselme:
Administrators and the school board made a point of working with and listening to the community in developing the new proposed budget, Anselme stressed.
“Throughout this process, the board has worked to balance fiscal responsibility with continued progress on the district’s strategic priorities,” she wrote. “This revised proposal reflects our community’s shared commitment to strong schools and responsible financial stewardship, while more directly addressing concerns about affordability.”
“The adjustments being made will allow the district to remain focused on student learning, maintain planned safety enhancements, preserve key instructional supports and support long-term financial stability.”
After the failure of the initial budget, the district had three options, Anselme noted:
The district is working on a revised budget newsletter that should be sent out electronically in the “coming days,” Anselme said. Residents may also attend the budget hearing on June 2 or watch a recording of it on the district website starting on June 3.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Rome residents will vote on a revised school district budget
Reporting by Amy Neff Roth, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
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