Port Jervis School District Introduces $104 Million Budget for Construction and Land Acquisition

ORANGE COUNTY, N.Y.—The Port Jervis School District is putting forward a budget of $104 million for the 2025-2026 school year, reflecting a 7.7 percent rise from the previous year. This funding will be used for school building renovations and the acquisition of an adjacent property.

For the fifth consecutive year, the local tax levy for the school district will not see an increase.

Superintendent John Bell stated that the elevated budget is primarily driven by construction initiatives. This year, the district plans to allocate $49.9 million for phase five of its construction project, which encompasses revamping the complete HVAC system and associated electrical work, alongside the installation of air conditioning in every middle and high school classroom.

This past year, the district invested $26 million in phase four of the construction plan, which involved resurfacing school roofs and equipping several buildings with air conditioning.

The district is also considering the purchase of the 11.5-acre Joyland property next to the high school. Owning this land would connect the school to the Glennette football field, with plans to pave and light a path ensuring safe transit for students between these locations.

Currently, students must navigate through Port Jervis to reach the football field for sports activities, making it time-consuming to get there; passing through the Joyland property would significantly reduce travel time.

Additionally, this 11.5-acre space may serve as potential grounds for a new school in 20 to 30 years. Having this property integrated into the high school campus would simplify the process of establishing a new school without requiring a separate campus.

To keep expenses and taxes manageable, the district continuously seeks cost-saving measures, even in staffing. Bell remarked that six to seven positions were cut in the last two years, with an upcoming wave of 25 retirements providing further opportunities for reduction.

The school is also collaborating with Consolidated Edison to install solar panels on campus buildings in hopes of reducing electricity costs, which range between $400,000 and $500,000 annually.

The existing school levy has remained at $29 million for the last five years. The district can uphold this low tax rate since 70 percent of its funding comes from the state, with only 30 percent sourced from local taxes—a reversal of the typical funding structure in most districts.

While this strategy maintains low taxes in the present, in the event of a recession, the school may have to significantly increase the school tax. Bell discussed the potential implications of a recession during a Deerpark town board meeting on May 12.

“During a significant recession, if the state cuts funding, small cities and many rural schools—such as those in Sullivan County—become heavily reliant on state aid, making them particularly vulnerable,” Bell explained. “This has been evident during previous economic downturns in ’91, ’92, 2001 at 9/11, and the 2008 recession. Schools that depend predominantly on state aid bear the most impact during these large macroeconomic cycles. This is partly due to the fact that 20 percent of the state budget is tied to Wall Street.”

Bell conveyed to The Epoch Times that while he doesn’t foresee an imminent recession, he is concerned about the government’s spending exceeding its revenues.

Given the current inflation, he noted that the district may need to increase the tax rate next year.

“It’s been a great five-year period, but it seems improbable that we can maintain a zero percent increase next year,” Bell stated. “We’ll need to implement small increases to the local tax base to bolster our revenue.”