2026 -2027 Budget REVOTE Calendar

May 26, 2026	Board of Education Meeting – Budget Workshop Presentation for 2026-2027 Budget Re-Vote 6:30 pm – Berlin Middle High School Auditorium Board of Education Meeting – May 26, 2026, 6:30 pm – Livestream Recording Budget Workshop Presentation for 2026-2027 Berlin CSD Budget Re-Vote on June 16, 2026
June 2, 2026	Board of Education Round Table Meeting – 2026-2027 Budget Adoption for Re-Vote on 6/16/26 7:15 pm – Berlin Middle High School Auditorium
June 9, 2026	Budget Hearing – Informational Presentation  7:15 pm – Berlin Middle High School Auditorium
June 16, 2026	2026-2027 Berlin CSD Budget Re-Vote  12:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Berlin Middle High School Cafeteria
June 16, 2026	Board of Education Regular Meeting 7:15 pm – Berlin Middle High School Auditorium

 

 

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Please find a letter from Berlin CSD Superintendent Ken Rizzo with an update about the 2026-2027 BCSD Budget Revote here. A budget workshop will be held at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, May 26 in the Berlin Middle High School (BMHS) auditorium. Residents will vote on Tuesday, June 16 from 12-9 pm in the cafeteria of Berlin Middle High School.

If you did not receive this letter as an email please update your contact information with your building’s main office.

If you are a community member and would like to receive community updates regarding the school budget please feel free to sign up for our community messenger list here.

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May 25, 2026

Dear Berlin CSD Residents,

As you are now aware, residents rejected the proposed $26,779,680 budget on May 19 by a narrow margin of 213-210. As stewards of taxpayer funds, the district adopted a 2.16% tax levy, among the lowest proposed increases out of the 22 districts in the Questar III BOCES. The Board of Education now has a very tight timeline to decide what the district’s next steps will be. According to NY State law, there are three options after a budget is turned down:

1. Hold a revote with the same budget
2. Hold a revote with a revised budget
3. Adopt a contingency budget which prohibits any tax increase in the tax levy and cuts all non-essential programs

A budget workshop will be held at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, May 26 in the Berlin Middle High School (BMHS) auditorium. The district needs to hear community feedback on the proposal that was rejected by voters and how to proceed. The restoration of a part time librarian at BES, two sections of universal pre-kindergarten, and the addition of academic intervention in reading and math in the MSHS were part of the defeated budget. It included a reduction in the total administrators with no cuts impacting instructional staff. Before holding a revote, the Board will need to consider additional cuts that could significantly impact programming for students.

Please be aware that under NYS law, if a second budget fails to pass, the Board would be required to adopt a contingency budget with no tax increase from the prior year. Under this scenario, the district would be required to cut all non-essential programs including community use of district facilities. Non-essential student supplies and non-essential equipment would also be cut. Athletics, extracurricular activities, and field trips would be significantly impacted or completely eliminated.

Before holding a revote, a final budget proposal must be adopted by Tuesday, June 2. Residents will vote on Tuesday, June 16 from 12-9pm in the cafeteria of Berlin Middle High School. The BMHS cafeteria will allow residents additional parking space and convenient access to the voting location from the parking lot through the cafeteria doors in the front of the building. I strongly encourage all residents to participate in the budget workshop on May 26 and to make sure your voice is heard on June 16.

Sincerely,

Kenneth Rizzo
Superintendent of Schools