Voters approve 96% of school district budgets

FOR RELEASE: May 20, 2026

New York State voters approved 96% of proposed school district budgets on Tuesday, May 19, according to preliminary results compiled by the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA).

“We have become accustomed to seeing high budget approval rates every year because voters recognize the importance of public education and that school boards take their responsibilities as stewards of their schools very seriously,” said NYSSBA Executive Director Robert Schneider. “The school budget creation process was especially difficult this year because with the late state budget, school boards had to guess at how much education aid they would receive from the state."

Despite increasing costs in areas including health coverage, utilities, transportation and contractual obligations, school districts were able to limit their tax levy increases to an average of 2.94% statewide while holding their proposed spending increases to 3.95%.

NYSSBA gathered results for 661districts statewide that hold budget votes. A total of 633 school district budgets were approved by voters, while 28 were defeated, which represents a 96% approval rate. Results for seven districts were outstanding. Where budgets were defeated, school districts may again put a budget before voters on June 16.

Statewide, more than three dozen districts sought approval to override their property tax caps this year, meaning their proposed budgets needed a 60% “supermajority” approval to pass. Based on available data, of those seeking an override, NYSSBA estimates 25 budgets passed and 13 failed, a 66% approval rate. Since the tax cap was introduced in 2012, about two-thirds of budgets requiring an override have been approved on the first try.

For the 630 districts whose budget was within the tax cap and needed support from only a majority of voters for budget passage, NYSSBA had data for 623 districts; 608 districts, or 98%, passed on the first try.