| Remember to vote! Polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21. |
Polling Locations
| School 2 470 Tenth Street |
School 12 475 First Street |
School 14 1700 Tibbits Avenue |
School 18 412 Hoosick Street |
Carroll Hill School 112 Delaware Avenue |
Please note – if you previously voted at School 16, you will vote at Carroll Hill School on May 21. Many Troy election districts have recently changed. Please verify your voting location here.
The 2024-2025 Budget Newsletter will be arriving in the mail shortly. You can also view the newsletter online here. Additional information about the budget vote and BOE election is available here.
Proposed budget maintains programs and supports without raising taxes
On April 23, the Troy CSD Board of Education adopted a proposed $133,067,785 budget for the 2024-2025 school year. This proposal marks four consecutive years of a 0% tax levy increase and 12 years in a row proposing a budget at or below our allowable tax cap. Because of our long-term planning and commitment to fiscal responsibility, school taxes have increased by a total of less than five percent in the last nine years. We are pleased to present this budget that continues to provide the supports and resources our students need without increasing the burden on our taxpayers.
Residents will vote on the proposed budget on Tuesday, May 21. They will also vote for six candidates running for four seats on the Board of Education. Read about the slate of candidates here.
“We are proud of our history of presenting budgets that are educationally sound and fiscally responsible. Balancing the needs of our students and the cost to our taxpayers is at the forefront of our budget development each year,” said Superintendent John Carmello. “This budget will help us continue our growth and improvement trends while also navigating our state’s changing financial landscape.”
This budget minimizes the impact on our programs and staffing despite the changes to school funding at the state level. Although Troy CSD received significantly less state aid than expected, this budget contains no reductions to programs or student supports and maintains small class sizes throughout the district.
“We have seen immense growth in our students over the past several years, and this budget will allow us to continue building on our successes,” said Carmello. “As always, our commitment remains to ensure we meet the needs of all of our students, preparing them for success no matter what their future holds.”
Troy High School celebrated its 164th Commencement ceremony on June 23, 2023.
Capital Project Proposal
On the ballot this year is a $46 million capital improvement project that will allow us to make significant improvements to our aging buildings with no impact on the tax levy. As we approach the finish line on the Building Modernization Project voters approved in 2019, several areas still need improvement, primarily due to the age of many of our buildings.
Some of these needs, as noted in the latest Building Condition Survey (required by NYSED every five years), include adding secure entry vestibules to School 2, Carroll Hill and Troy High School, replacement of numerous lighting fixtures with LED lights, new interior doors at Troy High School (many of which are original to the 75-year-old building), and a significant list of repairs to sidewalks and roadways, ADA accessibility improvements, and a number of HVAC, plumbing and electrical upgrades. This project will also include renovations within the middle school to upgrade and expand the cafeteria and kitchen to offer additional meal options, as well as the creation of a separate music suite for the high school students, reducing scheduling conflicts and allowing both middle school and high school students to have dedicated spaces in which to practice.
The local share of this project will be funded through the Capital Reserve previously approved by the voters. This will allow for this significant project to be completed with no tax increase and will ensure our facilities are well-maintained for years to come.
Continued Student Growth
We are pleased to share that our positive trend of growth and improvement in student scores has continued since the State restarted Grades 3-8 assessments.
After a pause in assessments due to the pandemic, the results in 2021-2022 represented a reset and a new baseline. The number of our students scoring at proficient levels in Math and ELA increased every year from 2014-2015 through 2018-2019, and these increases have continued since testing resumed. On the ELA tests, proficiency increased by 8.5% from 2018-2019, and Math proficiency increased by 8% from 2018-2019. In addition, every school in the district showed improvement in proficiency levels in both ELA and Math over the past two years.
These are significant gains for our students, and they are primarily due to the dedication of our staff and the additional resources we have provided to support our students in and out of the classroom over the last several years. With this budget, we are once again prioritizing these supports to further strengthen instruction and continue our student growth.
Troy Fire Captain Dave Bader helps School 12 Pre-K student Aiva listen to her heartbeat.
Board of Education Election
Residents will also vote on six candidates running for four seats on the Board of Education. Read about the slate of candidates here.
Expenditures – How is the money spent?
| Category | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | Difference | % Change | % of Budget |
| Instructional | $27,989,442 | $26,845,985 | $1,143,457 | 4.26% | 21.03% |
| Employee Benefits | $26,651,001 | $25,718,241 | $932,760 | 3.63% | 20.03% |
| Special Programs | $21,368,174 | $20,637,864 | $730,310 | 3.54% | 16.06% |
| Charter School Tuition | $12,334,000 | $12,841,720 | -$507,720 | -3.95% | 9.27% |
| Debt Service | $10,454,805 | $9,389,510 | $1,065,295 | 11.35% | 7.86% |
| Facilities | $12,756,946 | $11,823,017 | $933,929 | 7.90% | 9.59% |
| Transportation | $8,279,056 | $8,020,430 | $258,626 | 3.22% | 6.22% |
| Student Services and Athletics | $5,726,670 | $4,893,105 | $833,565 | 17.04% | 4.30% |
| Technology | $4,143,552 | $3,980,702 | $162,850 | 4.09% | 3.11% |
| Central Administration | $2,699,139 | $2,582,538 | $116,601 | 4.51% | 2.03% |
| Interfund Transfer | $665,000 | $5,165,000 | -$4,500,000 | -87.12% | 0.50% |
| Total General Fund Budget | $133,067,785 | $131,898,112 | $1,169,673 | 0.89% | 100.00% |
Revenues – Where does the money come from?
| Category | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | Difference | % Change | % of Budget |
| State Aid | $83,960,691 | $83,409,505 | $551,186 | 0.66% | 63.10% |
| Tax Levy | $37,941,094 | $37,941,094 | $0 | 0.00% | 28.51% |
| Fund Balance | $3,750,000 | $4,000,000 | -$250,000 | -6.25% | 2.82% |
| Real Property Tax Items | $4,240,000 | $3,550,000 | $690,000 | 19.44% | 3.19% |
| Miscellaneous | $675,000 | $575,000 | $100,000 | 17.39% | 0.51% |
| Charges or Services | $711,000 | $631,500 | $79,500 | 12.59% | 0.53% |
| Interfund Revenue | $500,000 | $1,450,000 | -$950,000 | -65.52% | 0.38% |
| Federal Aid | $290,000 | $307,946 | -$17,946 | -5.83% | 0.22% |
| Sale of Property & Comp for Loss | $0 | $0 | $0 | #DIV/0! | 0.00% |
| Use of Money & Property | $1,000,000 | $33,067 | $966,933 | 2924.16% | 0.75% |
| Total General Fund Budget | $133,067,785 | $131,898,112 | $1,169,673 | 0.89% | 100.00% |
The required School Budget Notice is available here.
Important Voter Information
Property Tax Information:
- The District’s Tax Levy will increase 0% for the 2024-25 school year.
- The estimated basic STAR tax savings for homeowners in the City of Troy is $510.
- The estimated basic STAR tax savings for homeowners in the Town of Brunswick is $510.
- The tax rates will be established upon receiving the equalization rates from the New York State Office of Real Property Services and the final assessments from the City of Troy and Town of Brunswick.
Voter Eligibility:
To vote, you must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and a resident of the Troy City School District for at least 30 days prior to the vote date. You must be registered before you are permitted to vote.
Absentee Ballot/Early Mail Voter Information:
To vote by absentee ballot or early mail, you must fill out an application. Please contact the Board of Education Office at 518-328-5070. If you want a ballot mailed to you, your application must be received seven days before the vote. If you plan to pick up your ballot, your application must be received one day prior to vote. Completed absentee or early mail ballots must be received by the District Clerk at School 12 by 5 p.m. on May 21, the day of the vote.
Understanding the Tax Cap Laws:
The law does allow for tax levy increases greater than 2% despite how it has been described. The law requires districts to calculate their own tax levy limit based on the law which includes exemptions for voter-approved local capital expenditures, increases in pension rates that exceed two points; and court order judgments. The Troy City School District’s maximum allowable tax levy increase is 2.68%. The District is proposing going below this figure with the budget at 0%.
What happens if the budget is defeated?
If the proposed budget is defeated by voters, the District will adopt a contingency budget. This requires a 0% tax levy increase which is the same figure the district is currently proposing. Contingency budgets prohibit public use of buildings for non-District related events. It would also prohibit the purchase of student supplies and equipment, including computers and technology equipment.