Brittnay Spry, Jamestown Public Schools assistant superintendent of finance and operations, talks to Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education members Tuesday about the adopted 2025-2026 budget. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

The Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education adopted its 2025-2026 budget Tuesday.

Brittnay Spry, assistant superintendent of finance and operations, told school board members there will be no tax increase.

“So tonight, we are putting forth a balanced budget in the amount of $115,658,398,” Spry said. “There is no tax levy increase to our community. So what that means is the same amount that we raised in taxes last year is the exact same amount that we’ll be raising in taxes this year.”

The adopted spending plan, which will go before voters in May, will have an increase of $6.5 million in New York State Foundation aid as well as an increase in building aid. Overall revenues, Spry said, increased to about $10 million. With American Rescue Plan Act funds, the district will retain 81 positions. The budget also calls for the purchase of six school buses. The JPS spending plan also will add 14 new positions – 12 reading teachers and two elementary art teachers. Now, Spry noted, each elementary school can have its own dedicated art teacher.

“We are continuing to maintain the 81 positions that we created during the ARPA years,” Spry said. “If you haven’t heard, other districts statewide are starting to feel the strains of losing the ARPA funds, but we planned ahead. We always knew that money was going away, so we are able to maintain and keep all those positions that we’ve created over the past five years.”

The JPS budget is broken down into three categories – capital, administrative, and program.

The capital portion is $23,467,786 which includes capital outlay of $100,000 for playground upgrades at Lincoln Elementary School as well as $450,000 for a heating project at Persell Middle School.

The administrative portion is $12,365,817 which includes one assistant principal at Jamestown High School and seven districtwide instructional coaches.

The proposed program portion is $79,824,795 and it includes the addition of the reading teachers, the art teachers, and the purchase of six new non-electric school buses.

District residents will be able to go to the polls on May 20 to vote on the proposed budget.

In case residents vote down the spending plan, there is a contingency budget in place, Spry noted. The contingency budget is $114,346,043. In the contingency budget, the capital portion is $23,017,786 with a reduction in building and grounds equipment; the administrative portion is $12,056,125 with a reduction in BOCES Services; the program portion is $79,272,132 with the elimination of athletic and music equipment.

Voters also will see on the ballot a proposition to create a Capital Improvements Reserve Fund for up to $10 million, and a proposition to create a district maintenance and repair reserve fund.