Jamestown Public Schools Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Brittnay Spry discusses the proposed 2026-2027 budget Tuesday. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

There is no proposed tax increase in the 2026-27 budget being proposed by the Jamestown Public Schools District.

At its budget workshop Tuesday, the Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education reviewed the proposed 2026-2027 spending plan. According to Brittnay Spry, JPS assistant superintendent of finance and operations, the budget totals $120,898,274.

Spry said the revenue components of the budget include state aid of $96,744,727, property tax of $16,441,567, other revenue streams, and unappropriated fund balance and reserves of $7,711,980. The state aid revenue components consist of foundation aid, building aid, transportation aid, BOCES aid, and instructional materials aid (IMA).

Spry noted that foundation aid is projected to increase by $1.26 million, building aid will decrease by $1 million, transportation aid remains stable, BOCES aid will increase by $750,000, and IMA remains stable.

Spry said that when the district submits aid forms for the current capital project, the district is projected to receive over $13 million in building aid.

“All of these revenue projections are based on the governor’s (Kathy Hochul’s) proposal in what we saw coming out in January,” Spry said.

For expenditures, Spry said the budget contains capital, administrative, and program components. The capital portion is comprised of facilities, maintenance, safety and security, and debt service. The capital portion is $22,948,110. The administrative portion is $13,729,187 and includes operational departments, instructional coaches, building and district leadership, professional development and training, and central technology. Spry said the district is looking to hire an assistant principal, and a secretary at the Innovation Center at Rogers School.

The program portion is $84,898,274 and includes classroom teachers and paraprofessionals, pupil personnel services (counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses), extracurriculars and athletics, and the district’s transportation program.

Spry said the proposed budget calls for a sixth grade teacher, a social studies teacher, and a science teacher at Persell Middle School while at Washington Middle School the district plans on hiring a fifth grade teacher, a social studies teacher, and a science teacher. The district also looks to hire middle school music teachers.

The district is also adding an art teacher at Jamestown High School as well as special education teachers at Lincoln Elementary, Jefferson Middle, and Persell Middle schools. The district also tentatively added one occupational therapist, one physical therapist, and one music/marching band teacher.

Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker made a clarification about the music/marching band position. He said the position already exists, and its currently music teacher with a marching band stipend.

“So the FTE (full-time equivalent) isn’t an additional cost,” Whitaker said. “What this (position) is going to be is a shift in the full-time music teacher, so that they are teaching marching band, and doing marching band work throughout the day. So, this isn’t an additional marching band and music teacher.”

Whitaker said the budget is focused on students.

“I think it’s great,” Whitaker said of the proposed budget. “It helps us (the district) keep our class sizes at a level where our teachers can interact individually with kids. It supports our physical plan. It supports our employees, and it is good for taxpayers in that it is a zero increase, zero tax budget.”