ROCHESTER, N.Y. — People across New York State will have a say on Tuesday on whether to accept their school district’s budget for the 2025 to 2026 academic year. Polls have opened for budget voting and the race for Board of Education.

Many budgets include proposals to buy new buses, renovate buildings, and create a capital reserve fund. News10NBC has a guide in this story on where to vote in your district. We’ll also share the results of the vote once they’re available.

Electric school buses on the ballots for some

One measure getting attention is the switch to electric buses. As News10NBC has covered, the state has mandated that all districts stop buying new diesel buses by 2027 and stop using all diesel buses by 2035 as part of its climate change goals. The new state budget allows for a four-year extension for school districts if they are unable to comply with the 2027 deadline.

The switch to electric is easier said than done. A diesel bus costs $135,000, while an electric replacement averages about $400,000 right now. Many districts are also concerned about not having enough electricity on the local grid to sustain a switch.

Greece is proposing to buy 35 replacement buses, all diesel. If approved, the district will get about 10 years on them before that change comes into place. Churchville-Chili is trying to get ahead of the mandate and is looking at 10 new electric buses in its budget. Those buses are $458,000 each.

Some of the cost for electric buses will come from taxes the state has already collected. The state is chipping in $220,000 per bus for Churchville-Chili, with the final cost being $238,000.

Advocates say that, while taxpayers and districts might feel the pinch now, prices will start dropping in the long run. Electric bus prices are a new technology and the more people buy, the cheaper it gets.

What happens if a budget is voted down?

Last year, Rush-Henrietta was the only local district where voters rejected the budget. The district had lower than usual turnout and school administrators said there was some confusion on the measures.

If a vote fails, the district might revote on the same budget or an adjusted budget. Or the board could adopt a contingency budget. After the vote failed for Rush-Henrietta, the district trimmed off $1.3 million and put it to a vote again in June, where it passed.

On its website, every district breaks down how the money will be for programming, staff salaries, building operation costs, safety measures, and extracurriculars. The total costs range from $23.5 million for Wheatland Chili to $318 million in Greece, with larger districts typically having larger budgets.

Why isn’t there a vote in the Rochester City School District?

The “big five” school districts in New York State (Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Yonkers, and New York City) don’t hold school budget votes. Instead, the Board of Education votes.

The RCSD Board of Education has already approved a $1 billion budget for the upcoming school year. Commissioners voted 5 to 2 in favor of the spending plan earlier in May. The budget now advances to the Rochester City Council for final approval.

Where to vote

EAST SIDE

Brighton

• The vote is happening from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Central Administration Building, Gymnasium, Door 4, 2035 Monroe Ave.
• The proposed budget is about $110,600,000. Read more here.
• Voters will elect two members to the Board of Education out of three candidates. Read about the candidates here.

Webster

• The vote is happening from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Webster Schroeder High School gym, 875 Ridge Rd.
• There are two propositions on the ballot. One would grant $1,825,000 to buy ten conventional buses. The other would grant $525,000 to buy one electric bus to make progress toward the state’s zero-emission goals. Read more here.
• Voters will elect three members to the Board of Education out of three candidates. Read about the candidates here.

Pittsford

• The vote is happening from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Calkins Road Middle School.
• The proposed budget is about $168,200,000. Read more here.
• Voters will elect three members to the Board of Education out of three candidates. Read about the candidates here.

Fairport

• The vote is happening from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Johanna Perrin Middle School.
• The budget is about $165,300,000. Read more here.
• Voters will elect two members to the Board of Education out of two candidates. Read about the candidates here.

Penfield

• The vote is happening from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Penfield High School Gym
• The budget is about $128,600,00. Read more here.
• Voters will elect three members to the Board of Education out of six candidates. Read about the candidates here.

East Irondequoit

• The vote is happening from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at East Ridge High School.
• The budget is about $102,200,000. Read more here.
• Voters will elect three members to the Board of Education out of four candidates. Read about the candidates here.

West Irondequoit

• The vote is happening from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the St. Paul Blvd. Fire Department.
• There are two propositions on the ballot. The first is a maintenance capital project to spend $1.62 million for a new roof, HVAC rooftop unit, and boiler at Briarwood Elementary. The other would authorize the district to open a new $20 million capital reserve for funds to be used over a ten-year period. Read more here. Read more here.
• Voters will elect two members to the Board of Education out of three candidates. Read about the candidates here.

WEST SIDE

Brockport

• The vote is happening from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Technology and Training Center.
• The budget is about $102,500,000. Read more here.
• Voters will elect one member to the Board of Education out of one candidate. Read about the candidate here.

Churchville-Chili

• The vote is happening from noon to 9 p.m. at the MSN Cafeteria, Door 31.
• The budget is about $108,900,000. Read more here.
• Voters will elect three members to the Board of Education out of five candidates. Read about the candidates here.

Gates-Chili

• The vote is happening from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Spartan Field House at Gates Chili High School
• The budget is about $139,700,000. Read more here.
• Voters will elect three members to the Board of Education out of four candidates. Read about the candidates. Read about the candidates here.

Wheatland-Chili

• The vote is happening from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. In the Wheatland-Chili Middle/High School gym.
• The proposed budget for the 2025-26 school year is $23,599,197. Read more here.
• Voters will elect two members to the Board of Education out of two candidates. Read about the candidates here.

Greece

• The vote is happening from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Transportation & Support Services Facility 1790 Latta Rd.
• The budget is about $318,500,000. Read more here.
• Voters will elect three members to the Board of Education out of six candidates. Read about the candidates here.

Hilton

• The vote is happening from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Parma Town Hall, 1300 Hilton Parma Corners Rd.
• The budget is about $105,200,000. Read more here.
• Voters will elect three members to the Board of Education out of three candidates. Read about the candidates here.

Honeoye-Falls Lima

• The vote is happening from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the High School Lobby.
• The budget is about $64,700,000. Read more here.
• Voters will elect four members to the Board of Education out of five candidates. Read about the candidates here.

Rush-Henrietta

• The vote is happening from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Transportation and Operations Center, 1133 Lehigh Station Rd.
• The budget is about $179,100,000. Read more here.
• Voters will elect two members to the Board of Education out of two candidates. Read about the candidates here.

Spencerport

• The vote is happening from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the District Office Building.
• The budget is about $102.5 million. Read more here. Voters will elect two members to the Board of Education out of two candidates. Read about the candidates here

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