Jamestown Public Schools Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Brittnay Spry discusses budget items Tuesday at a public hearing at Persell Middle School. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

There was no public comment Tuesday concerning the Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education 2024-2025 balanced budget.

During the budget hearing, at Persell Middle School, Brittnay Spry, assistant superintendent of finance and operations told board members that the budget is $104,566,897 and there is no increase in taxes.

“They (taxes) will remain the same as they have in previous years – since they have for the past 10-plus years for the district,” Spry said. “Our PILOTS, which are our payments in lieu of taxes, will remain stable.”

Spry added that there is a $2.9 million increase in state foundation aid, an increase Boards of Cooperative Educational Services, transportation, and an increase in building aid to complete the revenue side of the budget.

For expenditures, which also is $104,566,897, there is a capital outlay of $100,000 in which the district will look at replacing and upgrading playground equipment at one of its elementary schools.

“The nice thing about a capital outlay is we spend the money this year, and we get the aid in the following year at 90 percent, which is our building aid ratio. We are planning on replacing playground equipment at one of our elementary schools,” Spry added.

More program expenditures include the purchase of two 54-passenger wheelchair buses, the purchase of two 66-passenger buses, and the purchase of one 66-passenger zer0-emission bus. Spry said there are 18 buses to trade in to offset the cost of the zero-emission bus. Previously Spry said the district has been selected for the New York State bus incentive program.

Currently public school districts across the state are to begin purchasing zero-emission buses in 2027, and be zero-emission by 2035, Spry noted.

Should the balanced spending plan not get passed by district voters, there is a contingency budget in place, Spry said.

The $103,676,897 budget would include a reduction in buildings and grounds equipment, and the elimination of the capital outlay that addresses the replacing and upgrading playground equipment at one elementary school. There also would be a reduction in BOCES services as well as the elimination of athletic and music equipment.

“So that is how we would propose our contingency budget, should our vote be unsuccessful,” Spry said.

The budget vote and board member election is scheduled for Tuesday from 12 to 9 p.m. at Lincoln Elementary School, Jefferson Middle School, and Washington Middle School.