BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg City School District will seek approval of the same budget that was voted down May 19, including the proposition to purchase 13 buses leveraging state aid.

The first vote failed 329-301 while the transportation proposition failed 317-307.

Now the district is returning to voters an identical proposal which includes $58,228,386 in total spending and an $11.3 million tax levy, a 3.99% increase over the current year. It also includes the purchase of 13 gas-powered buses at a cost not to exceed $2,521,504. The vehicles qualify for up to 85% state reimbursement. 

The vote comes at a moment when the district is confronting rising employee benefit costs, the expiration of federal pandemic aid and the continued use of reserves to close operating gaps.

Contingency plan

At an emergency meeting May 26, Superintendent Kevin Kendall reviewed the reductions already made to close gaps in the original proposal and outlined the additional cuts that would be required if the budget fails a second time.

Under state law, a second defeat would force the district into a contingency budget, which prohibits any increase to the current tax levy.

For Ogdensburg, this would create a $648,500 shortfall, resulting in additional reductions to both programming and staff, according to Kendall.

Although several community members attended the meeting, Kendall said no one came forward to offer public comment when given the opportunity.

According to Kendall, if  the proposal is defeated a second time, the district will be required to adopt a $57,579,886 contingency budget, eliminating six additional staff positions and 12 programs, including Summer Marching Band, Driver Education, and all Junior Varsity athletic teams, as well as the closure of the Edgar A. Newell II Dome. 

He said the reductions would be in addition to the 37.5 staff  and 4 program cuts already made in the initial proposal. 

He said a  contingency budget would also limit the district’s ability to offer community use of school facilities. 

“A contingency budget isn’t a one‑year setback – it’s a multi‑year recovery,” Kendall said. “Once programs and staff are cut, they cannot simply be restored the following year. It takes time, resources, and several budget cycles to rebuild what was lost.” 

Tax rate vs tax levy

During the meeting 
Kendall says he shared a 20-year lookback on local tax rates, noting that the proposed rate of $21.64 per $1,000 of assessed value is only slightly higher than the $21.55 rate in 2006-07. 

Kendall said that while the district held the levy at 0% for six consecutive years, inadequate state funding paired with rising operational costs for utilities, special education programming  and health insurance premiums made an increase unavoidable for the upcoming year.

Although state aid has in fact increased annually, he says it has not kept pace with rising costs.

Kendall recognized residents have seen their property values rise due to the city’s reassessment, but that’s outside the district's control.

“The school district does not control property assessments; it only applies the tax rate to the values determined by the city,” he said “The tax levy is the total amount of money that a school district collects each year from all property owners in the district. Tax rates are calculated by dividing the total amount of the levy by the total assessed value in the community. “

However, when an individual’s assessment increases, their share of the levy also increases.

Costs and savings

Kendall also addressed criticisms of the district’s cost per pupil.

He said the district serves more than 1,200 students, including homeschooled students and preschool-aged children within the district that require special education services. He said a simple “cost per student” calculation, which some claim is as high as $40,000 per student,  does not reflect the district’s actual needs. 

“We have more than 375 students receiving special education interventions, which require additional staffing, specialized programming, and individualized support,” Kendall said.

“We aim to meet the needs of every student, and with that comes a different cost per student.”

Kendall says the district has been actively looking for savings where it can be found.

He says an Energy Performance Contract (EPC) grant is funding the transition from standard lighting to more energy-efficient LED fixtures throughout the building. 

In addition, he says Phase 2 of the district’s ongoing capital improvement project will replace three 75-year-old boilers, currently operating at roughly 82% efficiency, with modern, energy-efficient systems.

Criticisms of the district’s proposal have been circulating on social media, and one city resident even aired concerns about the school budget during public comment of a city council meeting.

Elementary Reorganization

The district is also moving forward with a reorganization of elementary schools in order to better align staffing and resources with student needs. 



The new structure will see students in grades UPK-1 at Grant C. Madill Elementary and students in grades 2-6 at John F. Kennedy Elementary. Kendall says it allows the district to reduce costs through attrition, avoiding deeper cuts to programs and services, he said.

The budget revote will take place on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, from noon to 9 p.m. in the William L. Dwyer Gymnasium at Ogdensburg Free Academy.