Business Office and District Budget

The Assistant Superintendent for Business supervises Liberty’s Business Office, which is responsible for accounting, auditing, benefits coordination, capital projects coordination, contract negotiations, facility use coordination, the district census, payroll, purchasing, records management and safety planning. The business office also supervises Buildings and Grounds, Food Services and Transportation.

2025-2026 District Budget

On Tuesday, May 20, voters in the Liberty Central School District approved, 658-131, the district’s $68.5 million budget proposal for the 2025-26 school year.

“We thank the residents of Liberty Central School District for their continued support so we can empower our students to contribute and thrive in a diverse community by pursuing their potential,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said. “We are also happy we could present a budget that, for the seventh year in a row, did not increase the tax levy.”

The $68,508,362 budget funds all current student programs and services as the district continues its vertical and horizontal alignment of curriculum, adding the curriculum management platform Eduplanet to aid in curriculum mapping. The district is also expanding partnerships with colleges and universities to offer additional credit-bearing classes for high school students.

Voters also approved a nearly $7.5 million capital project, 616-167. The project will add air conditioning to the elementary school to address recent state legislation that sets 88 degrees as the maximum temperature in educational and support services spaces. The project also includes related boiler and electrical upgrades. There is no expected tax levy impact, as fund balances will be used to offset the costs not covered by state reimbursements.

“We are glad that this project was approved so that we can help keep our students cool in a more cost-effective manner by working this into our ongoing project,” Dr. Sullivan said.

Snapshot

  • Total Budget: $68,508,362
  • Budget Change:$474,068 (+0.70%)
  • School Tax Levy: $17,760,162
  • School Tax Levy Change: None

REVENUES

  • Property Taxes: $17,760,162 (no change)  — 25.92% of revenue
  • State Aid*: $48,329,200 (-0.32%) — 70.54% of revenue
  • Fund Balance: $0 (no  change) — % of revenue
  • Reserves: $0 (no  change)— % of revenue
  • Other: $2,419,000 (+35.2%) — 3.53% of revenue
  • Total: $68,508,362 (+0.7%)

*Based on the governor’s budget proposal projections, as the state budget was not passed before the Liberty school budget proposal was approved by the board of education.

EXPENDITURES

  • General Support: $6,212,325 (+2.18%) — 9.07% of expenditures
  • Instruction: $34,526,637 (-2.89%) — 50.4% of expenditures
  • Pupil Transportation: $8,158,600 (+14.36%) — 11.91% of expenditures
  • Employee Benefits: $16,267,400 (+2.18%) — 23.75% of expenditures
  • Debt Service: $2,888,400 (no change) — 4.22% of expenditures
  • Interfund Transfers: $455,000 (no change) — 0.66% of expenditures
  • Total: $68,508,362 (+0.7%)

COMPONENTS

  • Administrative Component: $7,154,495 (-2.93%) — 10.44% of budget
    • Includes salaries and benefits of administrators, supervisors, and administrative clerical staff, public information, printing, curriculum and staff development, school board costs, general insurance and professional fees.
  • Program Component: $53,016,275 (0.59%) — 77..39% of budget
    • Includes salaries and benefits of all teachers and staff who deliver pupil services (guidance, health, library/media, etc.), textbooks, co-curricular activities, athletics, and transportation costs.
  • Capital Component: $7,959,861 (+4.75%) — 12.17 % of budget
    • Includes salaries and benefits of maintenance and custodial staff, debt service on buildings, utilities, equipment, and  court-ordered costs.

School Board

Liberty Central School District has a nine-person Board of Education. All seats are at-large, with three seats up for election each year. Each member serves a three-year term.

Those who wish to run for school board must be: able to read and write; a citizen of the United States; at least 18 years of age; a qualified voter of the district; and a resident of the school district for at least one year prior to election  No employee of the school district may be a member of the board, except as permitted by law, and no more than one member of a family shall be a member of the same Board of Education.

Prospective board members should contact District Clerk Tania DeFrank at tdefrank@LibertyK12.org or 845-292-6990 for a nomination packet and petition. Completed forms, including a petition with at least 25 valid signatures of qualified district voters, must be returned to the district office no later than 5 p.m. April 21.

Three board of education members were elected to three-year terms on the board: John L. Nichols with 761 votes, Timothy Hamblin with 759 votes and Matthew DeWitt with 762 votes. Also on the ballot were: Miriam Rivka Singer who received 28 votes, and Miriam Heimlich who received 27 votes. Six write-in votes were also cast: four for Richard Ienuso and one each for Mike Grosman and Pamela Hamlin.

The elected candidates will serve three-year terms running July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.

Voting Information

Voters must be 18 years old,  a U.S. citizen and a district resident for at least 30 days and be registered to vote at their county board of elections, which will automatically register them to vote at the district. The last day to register with the district is five days before the election.

Along with traditional absentee balloting, which requires a reason for voting early, New York State allows for early voting via mail without requiring justification. Voters must fill out an application for either form. There are separate applications for each, but the application process and deadlines are the same for both.

Qualified voters may request an early voting or absentee ballot application by contacting District Clerk Tania DeFrank at tdefrank@LibertyK12.org or 845-292-6990. They may also be downloaded and printed here: Absentee ballot (English); Absentee ballot (Spanish); Early voting (English); Early voting (Spanish). The last day for absentee/early ballot applications to be received for those who will be mailed a ballot is seven days before the vote. The last day for absentee/early ballot applications to be received in person and the ballot delivered by hand is the day before the vote .  Absentee/early voting ballots must be received by the District Clerk by 5 p.m. the day of the vote in order to be counted.

Military voters who are qualified voters of the district may apply for a military ballot by requesting an application from the district clerk and the valid application must be received no later than 5 p.m.  about 27 days before the election.  Military voters who are not registered to vote may apply to register by filling out a Military Voter Registration Application, which can also be obtained by requesting an application from the district clerk and completed applications must be received by the clerk by 5 p.m. the same day as the application deadline. Military voters may indicate a preference for receiving a military voter registration, military ballot application, or military ballot by mail, fax or email in their request for such registration, ballot application or ballot. The school district will transmit military ballots to military voters no later than the day after the deadline. Completed military ballots must be received by the district by 5 p.m. the day of the vote  to be counted.

Everything You Need to Know About School Budgets in 60 Seconds

In New York, school leaders begin developing their school budget proposal long before the public vote in May. Each budget proposal is unique, but the planning process is similar for most schools. 

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