Trending Now - Local School Budgets Face Rejection in Odessa-montour and O’burg

WHO:

Fingerlakes1.com - Odessa-Montour Central School District, Prattsburgh Central School District, Spencerport, Lyndonville, Ogdensburg, Stamford, Jefferson Central, AuSable Valley, Auburn Enlarged City School District, Dr. Eliezer Hernández, CJ Calarco, Daniel Lovell, Bruce MacBain, Rachel McCarthy, Timothy Pallokat, Alyssa Binns Gunderson, Judith Moody.

WWNY - Ogdensburg Superintendent Kevin Kendall, taxpayers of Ogdensburg, school board members Jonathan Schell, Jennifer Bossuot, Mark Storms, Angela McRoberts, Renee Grizzuto, John Cain III, Shawn Griffin, David Altieri.

WHAT:

Fingerlakes1.com - Voters in several Upstate New York districts rejected proposed school budgets, including Odessa-Montour and Prattsburgh.

Fingerlakes1.com - Odessa-Montour's proposed budget was $23.4 million and received 56.8% approval but failed due to a 13% tax levy increase exceeding the state cap.

Fingerlakes1.com - Prattsburgh's budget failed with a vote of 303-213, proposing a 40.6% tax levy increase.

Fingerlakes1.com - Spencerport's budget was defeated by 53 votes, 798-745.

Fingerlakes1.com - Ogdensburg's proposed budget of $58 million was rejected 329-301.

WWNY - A proposition to spend up to $2.5 million on 13 school buses in Ogdensburg was also rejected.

Fingerlakes1.com - Districts with failed budgets can prepare revised proposals for a re-vote scheduled for June 16.

Fingerlakes1.com - Auburn's budget of nearly $112 million was approved by a margin of 1,104-999.

WWNY - Carthage's budget of $82 million had a 0% tax levy increase and was passed with a vote of 474-127.

WHERE:

Fingerlakes1.com - Odessa-Montour, Prattsburgh, Spencerport, Lyndonville, Ogdensburg, Stamford, Jefferson Central, AuSable Valley, Auburn, and various districts across Upstate New York.

WWNY - Ogdensburg, Watertown, Indian River, Carthage, and other districts in Jefferson, St. Lawrence, and Lewis counties.

WHEN:

Fingerlakes1.com - A statewide re-vote is scheduled for June 16.

WWNY - The school budget voting occurred on a Tuesday night.

WHY:

Fingerlakes1.com - Voters rejected budgets due to rising costs, tax levy increases, and the need for supermajority approval under New York’s tax cap law.

WWNY - The Ogdensburg budget was defeated despite a tax levy increase just shy of 4%.

HOW:

Fingerlakes1.com - Budgets that failed can either move to contingency budgets or be revised for a re-vote.

WWNY - If a budget is rejected a second time, a contingent budget must be enacted, requiring a reduction in spending by $648,500.

(UPDATED May 20, 2026 19:47 UTC)

Voters in several Upstate New York districts, including Odessa-Montour and Prattsburgh, rejected proposed school budgets, with Odessa-Montour's budget of $23.4 million receiving 56.8% approval but failing due to a tax levy increase exceeding the state cap. In Ogdensburg, the proposed budget of $58 million was turned down by a vote of 329 to 301, along with a proposition for $2.5 million to purchase 13 school buses. Districts that had their budgets rejected can prepare revised proposals for a re-vote scheduled for June 16, and if a budget fails a second time, a contingent budget will need to be enacted, resulting in a spending reduction of $648,500.