NEW ROCHELLE, NY (March 5, 2025) — Facing a staggering $20.2 million budget shortfall, the New Rochelle school district is swinging the axe, cutting nearly 200 jobs and hiking taxes in a desperate bid to stay afloat, Superintendent Dr. Corey W. Reynolds announced at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting.
The district’s financial woes, years in the making, have collided with rising costs and shrinking state aid, forcing painful choices that will ripple through classrooms, bus routes, and family budgets. Reynolds laid bare the grim reality: even with a proposed 3.95% tax levy increase — the same rate voters approved last year — the district needs a supermajority of 60% to pass it, as it exceeds the state’s tax cap.
“We’re asking our community to bear this burden, and we don’t take that lightly,” Reynolds said. “But there’s no scenario where we avoid cuts.”
The bloodletting includes administrators, teachers, clinicians, custodians, trades workers, monitors, and security staff — a workforce reduction Reynolds called “heartbreaking” for colleagues and friends. A hiring freeze is now in effect for targeted positions, though vacated roles needing replacements will still be filled. Laid-off employees will get first dibs if jobs reopen later.
The district’s troubles trace back to decisions delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when federal grants propped up staffing for students’ mental health needs — costs now shifted to the general fund. Add in soaring transportation and health insurance premiums, plus a failed transportation plan that could’ve saved $2.5 million annually, and the deficit ballooned.
Then came the state’s blow: Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Foundation Aid Formula tweak slashed per-student funding by nearly $500. A “hold harmless” provision limits the damage to a 2% increase, or $1.3 million, over last year’s aid — a far cry from the $3 million to $16 million bumps of recent years. Total state aid this year? A measly $378,000 increase.
“We’ve been advocating for more help, but we can’t wait for Albany to save us,” Reynolds said.
To stem the bleeding, the district will finally roll out its transportation overhaul, rejiggering elementary schedules so buses can double up on runs — cutting vehicles, drivers, and monitors by up to half. Before- and after-school programs may shift to ease the strain on families. Overtime and contracted services are also on the chopping block.
Class sizes will creep up as the district “rebalances” after losing 1,000 students over the past decade, though Reynolds insists they’ll stay within optimal ratios. Special education classrooms, protected by law, won’t be touched. Last year’s 20% discretionary spending cut districtwide will hold firm.
But the stakes are high. If voters reject the budget, deeper cuts loom — potentially ballooning the deficit by another $10 million under a contingency plan. A new charter school opening this fall could siphon more students, and revenue, away.
Reynolds pleaded for community input, urging residents to weigh in at Board meetings or via email at budgetquestions@nredlearn.org. “Your partnership is essential as we navigate this fiscal cliff,” he said.
For now, New Rochelle’s schools are bracing for a leaner, meaner future — one where the ledger balances, but not without scars.