Randolph Central School will operate under an austerity budget in the 2026-27 school year after voters defeated a revised school budget on Tuesday.

A higher percentage of voters were in favor of the revised budget than was the case for the initial budget proposed for the May school budget vote and school board election. The initial budget proposal was defeated 313-191, or a 62% disapproval rate, in May. On Tuesday, the revised budget was defeated by a 602-491 vote, or a 55% disapproval rate. Turnout was higher for Tuesday’s revote.

The district was proposing a smaller budget than the one that was defeated in May. That budget totaled $27,021,901 and came with a 19.27% increase in spending and a 39.75% increase in the district’s property tax levy. The budget up for vote during Tuesday’s totaled $25,996,501 and cut the proposed tax increase to 19.75%.

State law prohibits Randolph from holding another budget vote. Now, the board must adopt a contingency budget by July 1. According to the state School Boards Association, a contingency budget can be adopted with a single vote or by passing multiple resolutions that approve spending for specific purposes, as needed, until the board adopts the overall contingency budget. Ultimately, the board must adopt a contingency budget prior to the issuance of the tax levy to ensure the collection of taxes sufficient to fund expenditures during the fiscal year.

A contingency budget funds only teachers’ salaries and items the board determines to be “ordinary contingent expenses.” NYSSBA officials have said in the past that ordinary contingent expenses have been defined under state law to include legal obligations; expenditures specifically authorized by statute; and other items necessary to maintain the educational program, preserve property and ensure the health and safety of students and staff.

Expenditures that do not constitute ordinary contingent expenses include new equipment, public use of school buildings and grounds, except where there is no cost to the district with the district charging a fee to cover costs, nonessential maintenance, capital expenditures except in an emergency, and consultant services to review district operations and make recommendations necessary for the creation of the budget.

A contingency budget must have the same degree of specificity that is required for budgets that are presented to the voters so that voters have a full understanding of revenue and expenditures and be able to examine expenses that may be non-contingent, without having to resort to outside materials.

Voters did approve a proposition to purchase school buses during Tuesday’s revote by a 569-511 margin. District officials had said there may have been confusion whether or not the district was buying electric buses.

“District leadership believes there may have been confusion related to New York State’s electric bus mandate,” district officials said in an FAQ on the district’s website prior to Tuesday’s vote. “The buses included in the proposition were not electric buses. They were traditional replacement buses that the district purchases routinely in order to maintain a safe and reliable fleet. Randolph, along with many other districts across New York State, has actively advocated for flexibility, realistic timelines, and responsible implementation related to the state’s electric bus mandate because of the financial challenges it presents for rural school districts.”