School Budget and Voter Information

Hudson Falls residents consider a school budget proposal on the third Tuesday in May each year. Before the vote, the Board of Education will work with district and school leaders to develop a budget proposal informed by the district’s mission, educational goals, fiscal challenges, and opportunities.

2024-25 School District Budget

Don’t forget to vote! Polls will be open on Tuesday, May 21st, 2024 from Noon to 8 p.m. Polls will be located in the Hudson Falls High School Gymnasium at 80 E Labarge St. Hudson Falls, NY.

Each spring, the Hudson Falls Central School District Board of Education adopts a proposed budget for the next school year that the community then votes upon. The Public Hearing for the 2024-25 budget will take place on Tuesday, May 14th at 6:30 pm in the High School Library Team Room.

A community budget newsletter will be mailed in May.

2024-25 Budget Summary

New York state law requires all school districts to present their budgets divided into three expenditure categories (program, administrative, and capital) so taxpayers can see where their money is going. Hudson Fall’s three-part budget will be added here when the NYS Budget is passed.

Voter Information

To be eligible to vote, residents must live in the school district for at least 30 days prior to the May 21 election, be at least 18 years of age and be a citizen of the United States. Residents may register to vote on the budget vote day, May 21, in the High School gymnasium.

The school budget vote will take place from 12 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, in the gym of Hudson Falls High School located at 80 E Labarge St., Hudson Falls, NY.

The district will provide mail-in and absentee ballots if requested. The district will provide absentee ballots for those previously identified on the county list. The New York Early Mail Voter Act allows registered voters to request a mail-in ballot. You can request an early voter ballot in person up to the day of the election. For information on how to get an absentee or mail-in ballot, call (518) 681-4124.

Two Board of Education seats on the ballot

Additionally, voters will be asked to elect two community members to the board of education. These two seats are currently held by Crystal Grimaldi and Heidi Andrejkovics. The term for the seats runs from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2029.

Transportation on the ballot

The district is proposing a $425,000 bus proposition to purchase one 66-passenger school bus and two 30-passenger school buses. The district is looking to replace three older buses on the fleet that have become costly to run due to the frequent need for maintenance. School buses are required to pass state mandated inspections before they can be approved to carry students.

STAR Program

Homeowners who meet certain eligibility requirements through the New York State School Tax Relief Program (STAR) can have a portion of their home’s assessed value exempt from school property taxes. Learn more about the STAR program here.

Business Office and Tax Collector

The Business Office conducts the day-to-day business of the school district, including internal services such as payroll, health insurance benefits coordination, and external services such as accounts payable.

Financial Statements and Independent Auditor’s Report

The Business Office undergoes an independent auditor’s review in accordance with Government Auditing Standards. The results of the current year in comparison with the prior year can be found in the:

Hudson Falls Central School District 6-30-23 Audit Report

Hudson Falls Central School District 6-30-22 Audit Report

Hudson Falls Central School District 6-30-21 Audit Report

Property Taxes and Exemptions

Visit the state Department of Taxation and Finance’s STAR credit page for more information.

New York State Funding Transparency Forms

Please visit the Division of Budget for more information on school funding allocation.

Hudson Falls CSD Financial Transparency Report

What is a tax cap?

New York places restrictions on how school districts (and municipalities) may increase their tax levies. It requires at least 60% voter approval for a school budget if the proposed tax levy increase exceeds a threshold, known as the tax levy limit, which is unique to each district and calculated using a state formula.

Although often referred to as a “2% tax cap,” the law does not, in fact, restrict any proposed tax levy increase to 2%. The New York state comptroller released a report on “three years of the tax cap” in 2015 (PDF), and its 2014-15 data showed that of the state’s 700 school districts:

38 had a tax levy limit equal to 2%, but only when rounded.
363 had a limit greater than 2%.
69 had a limit less than 1%

ARP-ESSER Funding Draft Plan

This spring, both the federal government and New York state released requirements for school districts that are receiving money through the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP-ESSER).

The draft ARP-ESSER plan can be found here.

If you have any questions or feedback regarding the plan, please email questions@hfcsd.org.