New York State Educational Conference Board. A diverse coalition united in support of public education in New York State.

HOME | ABOUT | NEWS/POLICY | LINKS | CONTACT

School Budget Vote Timeline
April 2004

Proposed School Budget Vote Timeline

Background

ECB is concerned about how changing the start of the state fiscal year to May 1st would impact the budget development and voting process for school districts. To address these concerns, ECB developed the following proposed re-ordering of the school budget vote timeline. Further, this re-ordering represents positive steps the legislature could take in reforming the school budget vote timeline that would help schools even if the start of the state's fiscal year remains April 1st.

Proposed Re-ordering of the School Budget Vote Timeline

Event or Activity	Deadline*
Publication of Legal Notice of School Budget Vote, Board Elections, Special Propositions and date of Public Hearing	No later than 45 days prior to budget vote date
Deadline for submission of petitions for nominations of Board of Education candidates	30 days prior to budget vote date
Preliminary Budget available, if requested	At least 7 days prior to public hearing
Public hearing on Preliminary Budget	No later than 21 days prior to budget vote date
Board of Education Adopts Proposed Budget	No later than 14 days prior to budget vote date
Property Tax Report Card submitted to SED and local newspaper	No later than 12 days prior to budget vote date
School Budget Notice mailed to all qualified voters	6 to 13 days prior to the budget vote date
List of residents given absentee ballots must be available for public inspection	5 days prior to budget vote date
Budget Vote Date	The 3rd Tuesday in May (assuming April 1st State Budget) - OR - the Tuesday before Memorial Day (assuming May 1st State Budget)
Publish notice of budget revote, if necessary	14 days prior to revote (April 1st) - OR - 7 days prior to revote (May 1st)

* When the deadline falls on a Saturday, the deadline date shall be Friday. If the deadline falls on a Sunday, the deadline date shall be Monday.

Current School Budget Timeline

Background

The legal requirements that control the current budget voting timeline have developed over many years. Some requirements, such as the publication of four legal notices of the budget vote date predates the adoption of a common school budget vote date. Other requirements have simply been added to the calendar of events and activities leading up to the budget vote date. ECB believes that a re-ordering of these requirements is needed to insure a clear and logical sequence of key events and activities.

Current School Budget Vote Timeline

Event or Activity	Deadline
Publication of Legal Notice of School Budget Vote, Board Elections, Special Propositions and date of Public Hearing	No later than 45 days prior to budget vote date
Deadline for submission of petitions for nominations of Board of Education candidates	30 days prior to budget vote date (20 days for small cities)
Board of Education Adopts Proposed Budget	Not specified - However, the board must authorize some form of a budget at least 25 days prior to the vote date in order to meet the Property Tax Report Card requirement
Property Tax Report Card submitted to SED and local newspaper	At least 24 days prior to the budget vote date
Proposed budget available, upon request	At least 7 days prior to the public hearing
Public hearing on the Budget	At least 7 days, but no later than 14 days prior to the budget vote date
School Budget Notice mailed to all qualified voters	After the public hearing, but no later than 6 days before the budget vote date
List of residents given absentee ballots must be available for public inspection	5 days prior to budget vote date
Budget Vote Date	Third Tuesday in May

HOME | ABOUT | NEWS/POLICY | LINKS | CONTACT