The Lakeland Board of Education adopted a $202,072,582 budget for the 2026-27 school year, which will go before district voters May 19.
The budget, adopted April 9, represents a 2.62 percent increase from the $191 million spending plan for 2025-26.
The districtwide tax levy increase is 2.20 percent, the maximum allowed under New York’s tax cap. This is higher than the 1.8 percent increase in 2025-26. Superintendent of Schools Karen Gagliardi described it as “a healthy increase” from last school year.
However, the tax burden varies by town in the district, which includes students from Yorktown, Mahopac (Town of Carmel), Cortlandt, Philipstown, Putnam Valley and Somers.
“The tax rates are impacted by the local property assessments from each municipality,” Gagliardi said.
She added that “budgeting is a delicate balancing act and our goal is simple yet vital” and said the goals of the spending plan are “to uphold the high quality of our educational programs while practicing disciplined fiscal management.”
Gagliardi said she believes the budget meets district needs.
“Our people are our greatest investment,” she said. “Our salaries and benefits make up over 81 percent of our total spending. This represents our commitment to our teachers and staff who serve our students every day.”
The Budget and Trustee Vote on May 19 will be held at Van Cortlandtville Elementary School from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
District voters can click here to see Lakeland’s final budget summary for 2026-27.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here