Budget | Finance/Tax Collection

The BCSD Business Office is located in the high school’s C wing. Overseeing the office is Chief Business and Financial Officer John McPhillips, who along with his staff, handles the business end of running the school district. They serve the community and they serve district employees. Have a question about your health insurance, but you’re not sure who to call? Maybe it’s a retirement question or you need to process a donation for an extra classroom activity? Please use the information on this page to contact the Business Office team!

Budget Development Calendar 

Proposed Budget Documents and Financial Information

The following documents will be posted here as a proposed budget is developed between February and April. The budget vote will take place on Tuesday, May 21. 

2023-24 Budget Information 

• Total Budget: $106,691,303
• Spending Increase: 3.89%
• Tax Levy Increase: 2.3%

Past Budgets & Bonds

View all past budget and bond results.

Budget Process

The district follows this general budgeting process each year. Dates and times may vary slightly year to year.

Fall

• District reviews long-range goals, enrollment projections.
• Administrators begin discussing budget priorities.

January

• Governor proposes Executive Budget. District reviews preliminary state aid projections.
• District estimates health care/retirement costs and other major cost drivers.

February

• District presents preliminary budget and identifies the initial gap between what is needed to continue all programs into the next year and projected revenues.

March

• By March 1, the District must submit its calculated maximum allowable tax levy under the state’s property tax cap.
• Board of Education (BOE) reviews administrative recommendations for budget expenses in various areas such as instruction, transportation, special education, facility, athletics, etc.

April

• BOE discussions continue on priority issues; legislative actions affecting revenue and expenditures; impact on instructional programs, staffing, and support operations.
• By April 1, the New York State Legislature must adopt a state budget. District updates its state aid projection.
• The BOE examines fund balance options to supplement revenues if needed.
• BOE adopts school budget proposal.

May

• Annual budget hearing. Budget information is mailed to all voters.
• Third Tuesday in May: BUDGET VOTE DAY

Voting Information and Eligibility

• Who can vote? To vote, you must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, and a resident of Bethlehem Central School District for at least 30 days prior to the vote. You do not need to be registered to vote.
• Voting is held in the upper gym at BCHS. The school is located at 700 Delaware Avenue. Park in the lot on Delaware Avenue, and use the main entrance on the Delaware Avenue side of the building.
• Absentee ballots and early voting applications are available (see below for information).
• The district will conduct an anonymous exit survey of voters on the day of the vote. Please consider submitting this valuable feedback to the district.

Voting information

The budget vote and board election will be held at Bethlehem Central High School on Tuesday, May 21 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Gym A. To vote, you must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and a resident of the Bethlehem Central School District for at least 30 days prior to the vote.

As always, voters who will be out of town or unable to vote at the polls due to illness or disability may apply for an absentee ballot. New this year is early ballot voting for any qualified school district voter.

Early ballot voting is available as a result of the new state Early Mail Voter Act, effective January 1, 2024. Early voting is possible without any reasons needed for voting early. Similar to absentee ballot voting, you must fill out an application to vote early. There are separate applications for early voting or absentee ballot voting, but the application process and deadlines are the same for both.

• Absentee ballot application 2024 [PDF]
• Early voting ballot application 2024 [PDF]

If the application requests that a ballot be mailed to the voter, it must be received by the district clerk no later than 7 days before the election. An application personally delivered to the district clerk must be received by the district clerk no later than the day before the election. Applications may not be submitted more than 30 days prior to the election. Completed ballots must be received by the school district clerk by 5 p.m. on the day of the election.

Return your completed ballot application to Brittany Barrett, District Clerk, Bethlehem Central School District Educational Services Center, 700 Delaware Avenue, Delmar, NY, 12054, (518) 439-7098. If you have questions, please email voterinfo@bethlehemschools.org

Contact information:

Brittany Barrett, District Clerk, Bethlehem Central School District Educational Services Center, 700 Delaware Avenue, Delmar, NY, 12054, (518) 439-7098

Email:   voterinfo@bethlehemschools.org