Millbrook School District proposes cutting 14 positions amid rising costs

MILLBROOK — The Millbrook Board of Education has approved a budget for 2026-27 that includes program and staffing cuts. But they still need the public’s approval, and on May 19, voters will head to the polls at Millbrook Middle School.

The $37,992,751 proposed budget represents a 6.57% increase from last year. The district’s tax levies will rise in turn, up 7.02% year-over-year to $29,733,237.

After anticipated state aid, the budget still results in a deficit of $1 million. The district has proposed a combination of program and staffing cuts to make up the difference. Summer school and some athletic programs will be reduced, Board of Education contracts will be trimmed, and some professional development opportunities for teachers will be cut.

Planned staff reductions are also part of the equation — 14 in all. That includes an administrative position, two full-time teachers, and a combination of teacher’s assistants and school monitors charged with maintaining safety on school grounds.

“It wasn’t in any priority order,” said Superintendent of Schools Caroline Hernandez Pidala. “It’s because those things are not mandated…I built some of these programs that could be eliminated.” The superintendent’s own salary will increase 3.5% to $226,000.

Millbrook Central School District, which enrolled 782 students in the 2024-25 school year, has been challenged by a number of price increases this year. They include rising insurance premiums, higher costs for special education and transportation, and a capital fund transfer to help repair district buildings. Multiple schools have been suffering from persistent roof leaks.

One notable variable is the amount of state aid the district will receive this year. New York state has filed a number of extensions for its education budget, and has yet to release its final numbers.

Last year, the district received $4,808,735 in state funding, but Superintendent Hernandez says the numbers can be deceiving. “The aid that we get doesn’t reflect the students who go to public schools,” said Hernandez. More than 30% of the Millbrook student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch, due to their parents’ socioeconomic status.

If voters reject the proposed Millbrook Central School District budget, additional cuts of $1.5 million would have to be made to satisfy a contingent budget.

Two seats at the Board of Education are also on the docket: Chris Rosenbergen and Howard Shapiro are running for reelection. The last day to register to vote is May 14.