Mount Vernon School District will hold a budget revote with slightly lower proposed spending and a smaller tax levy increase after voters rejected the budget in May.
The revised budget calls for $275.5 million in spending and a 1.5% tax levy increase. It trims $699,293 from the original proposal.
Superintendent Demario Strickland said the revised budget preserves jobs and programs, including athletics, extracurricular activities, counseling, gifted and talented, and bilingual education. The district was able to avoid cuts to jobs or programs due to a 2% increase in state aid. Most of the reduction came from lower overtime costs and from some students who had attended charter schools returning to the district.
The revote will be held on June 16 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at multiple locations. The budget must win support from at least 50% of voters to pass.
If the budget fails again, the district would have to adopt a contingency budget, which would eliminate sports, free public use of school facilities, after-school programs, summer school, gifted and talented programing, staffing and more.
Mount Vernon school budget priorities
Strickland said he is optimistic the budget will pass, citing renewed support from Parent Teacher Association leaders. The superintendent, who stepped into the role a year ago, said he sees the budget as part of a fresh start shaped by priorities identified in a community survey.
Top priorities in the survey, which drew nearly 1,000 community members, included adding reading and math coaches, increasing mental health support, replacing outdated technology equipment and upgrading playground equipment.
Like many Westchester school districts, Mount Vernon is facing rising employee salary and benefit costs, which accounted for most of the spending in the original $276.2 million budget. The district is also grappling with its own challenges in educating some 6,400 students.
District officials previously said Mount Vernon has the lowest level of tax investment among neighboring districts, while also having the highest share of economically disadvantaged students and the highest share of students with disabilities.
In the 2024-25 school year, about 94% of students were students of color, 21% had disabilities, 76% were considered economically disadvantaged, and 13% were homeless.
One of the biggest challenges Strickland faced in his first 60 days was finding placements for nearly 900 students with special needs after three schools closed before his tenure.
“It’s a new day,” Strickland said. “I’m just trying to get over that negative noise and keep pushing forward. That’s my focus.”
Helu Wang covers economic growth, real estate and education for The Journal News/lohud and USA Today Network. Reach her at hwang@gannett.com and follow her @helu.wangny on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: This is Mount Vernon School District’s plan after budget vote failed
Reporting by Helu Wang, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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By Helu Wang, Rockland/Westchester Journal News | USA TODAY Network
