NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (May 15, 2026) — The City School District of New Rochelle’s Board of Education has directed district administration to restore Elementary Band and Orchestra programs for the 2026-2027 school year, announcing it will reallocate $771,305.60 from funds budgeted for charter school expenditures.
The announcement came within hours of a student rally at City Hall calling for the programs to be saved, and days before the district’s budget vote, scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
SEE:,New Rochelle Students Rally Against Music Program Cuts at City Hall
The announcement, signed by Board President William Iannuzzi and Superintendent Corey W. Reynolds, came days before the district’s budget vote, scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The board said it acted in response to community advocacy. “The Board takes your concerns and feedback seriously and has directed the District administration to restore these programs in the proposed budget,” the statement read.
The programs are not mandated by New York State Education Department standards, but the district described them as “vital enrichments” to the elementary curriculum. The statement noted the programs had been under review for potential reductions both last year and this year.
Last year, the programs were preserved through a $1 million “Bullet Aid” allocation from state legislators. The district said it does not expect to receive that funding again for the 2026-2027 school year.
The reallocation cannot take effect immediately. Because the 2026-2027 budget adopted by the board on March 26 must go before voters as approved and cannot be altered, the board said it will reallocate the charter school funds at its July 1 meeting.
The district cautioned voters that rejecting the budget would not guarantee restoration of the programs. If the budget is voted down, the board could re-present the existing budget, present a new budget with a different tax levy, or adopt a contingency budget — options that would require a new vote on June 16. A contingency budget enacted without a second vote would limit spending to the current year’s budget level, forcing an additional $4,445,413 in cuts.
The district also noted uncertainty over state funding, which accounts for 26% of its revenue, saying there is currently no enacted state budget.
Polling site information and budget details are available at nred.org.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
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