Dear MCS Community,

Spring weather is finally making its presence known in Madison after what felt like an especially long, cold and snowy winter. With spring sports now in full swing, we are excited to highlight the installation of our new softball scoreboard, which also features a reverse-facing scoreboard for modified soccer—a great addition that supports multiple athletic programs and enhances the experience for our student-athletes and fans alike. As we welcome this change in season, we also turn our attention to an important annual event— our school budget and Board of Education vote.

This year, developing our 2025–26 school budget has proven more difficult than in years past. Governor Hochul, the State Senate and the Assembly have not yet passed a finalized state budget, which means we have had to make financial decisions based on estimates rather than confirmed aid figures. Despite these challenges, we remain committed to transparency and developing a fiscally-responsible budget that supports the academic and social-emotional success of every student in the district.

The first item on the May 20th ballot is the proposed 2025–26 school budget. Highlights include:

• Total proposed budget of $13,552,942, a 4.68% increase over the 2024–25 budget

• An anticipated State Aid increase of $677,461

• $476,541 of that increase is Building Aid generated by our recent capital improvements

• In consideration of our tax payers, the Board of Education has approved a proposed tax levy increase of 3.95%. This is less than the possible maximum of 4.44%.

• Continued preservation of all academic and extracurricular programming for students The second item on the ballot will be the vote to fill three (3) seats on the Board of Education.

The names of the candidates will appear on the ballot as follows:

• Stephen Gorman

• Jessica Clark

• Jennah Turner

Of the three available seats:

• Two seats are for four-year terms, commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2029.

• One seat is to complete an unexpired term, commencing July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026.

The two candidates who receive the highest number of votes will be elected to the four-year terms.

We invite you to learn more and ask questions at our Budget Hearing on May 6, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in the Madison Central School Auditorium. As always, please feel free to contact me directly with any questions you may have.

The annual budget vote will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Madison Central School, from noon to 8:00 p.m. Also that evening is our Spring K-2 Concert at 6:30 p.m.

Thank you for your continued support of Madison Central School. Together, we continue to move our district forward. Go Blue Devils!

In partnership,

Jason A. Mitchell Superintendent