Menands School District > Budget & Taxes

Budget & Taxes

2023-2024 Budget Results

MENANDS BUDGET
Passed  
Yes 147 
No 39 
Percentage of Approval: 79%

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES
Charlie Luke:  139 Votes- Term: July 1, 2023-June 30, 2027
Joshua Kullman: 74 Votes
Mashal Shaikh: 94 Votes- Term: May 17, 2023-June 30, 2026

CAPITAL PROJECT 
Passed
Yes 149
No 39
Percentage of Approval: 79%

LIBRARY BUDGET
Passed
Yes 163
No 25
Percentage of Approval: 87%

LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Tammy McNamara: 51 Votes
Jennifer Baltrush-Gifford: 40 Votes
Libby Post: 85 Votes
Kelley Lemyre: 91 Votes
Rosalynn Duvall: 27 Votes

2023-2024 Budget Calendar

*Additional Budget Workshop meetings

Schedule is subject to change. Additional Budget Workshop meetings may need to be added if necessary. Any dates and content are subject to change based on information available.

    Past budget summaries

    2022-23

    • Final Budget: $10,821,622
    • Spending Increase: 5.31 percent
    • Tax Levy Increase: 2.9 percent

    2021-22

    • Final Budget 2021-22: $10,275,635
    • Spending Increase: 4.59 percent
    • Tax Levy Increase: .31 percent

    2020-21

    • Final Budget 2020-21: $9,824,370
    • Spending Increase: 8.69 percent
    • Tax Levy Increase: 3.36 percent

    2019-20

    • Final Budget 2019-20: $9,038,667
    • Spending Increase: 3.53 percent
    • Tax Levy Increase: 3.75 percent

    2018-2019

    • Final Budget 2018-19: $8,730,680
    • Spending Increase: 2.14 percent
    • Tax Levy Increase: 3.25 percent

    2017-2018

    • Final Budget 2017-18: $8,548,159
    • Spending Increase: 2.54 percent
    • Tax Levy Increase: 1.81 percent

      Voter Information

      Residents across New York State go to the polls on the third Tuesday each May to vote on the annual school budget and elect members to the Board of Education. Voters must be 18 years old, United States citizens, and have resided in the district for at least 30 days prior to the vote. You do not need to be pre-registered in order to vote, but personal identification may be requested at the polls.

      Absentee ballot information

      Absentee ballots are issued, upon request, to residents of the school district who will be out of town or unable to vote in person due to illness or disability. To vote via absentee ballot, district residents must first complete and sign an absentee ballot application.

      A completed application must be received by the district clerk at least seven (7) days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter or the day before the election if the ballot is to be picked up at the District Office. The ballot itself must be returned to the District Clerk no later than 5 p.m. on the day of the election.

      Liz Mentiply | District Clerk
      jmentiply@menands.org
      518-465-4561, ext. 101

      Menands School District
      19 Wards Lane
      Menands, NY 12204

      School Taxes

      School taxes are collected on behalf of the district by the Town of Colonie Tax Department. 

      Town of Colonie Tax Department Website | (518) 783-2730 | Tax Dept. FAQs  | Look up and pay your tax bill online

      The STAR Program

      Homeowners who meet certain eligibility requirements through the New York State School Tax Relief Program – STAR – can have a portion of their home’s assessed value exempt from school property taxes. Learn more about the STAR program.

      Foundation Aid

      An integral portion of school aid from New York State is disbursed as Foundation Aid. This funding was established to assist school districts in providing students with the foundation for a basic education. This aid is used for general school operations and is based on student need, enrollment and district fiscal capacity. The State has yet to distribute the full amount originally owed to districts, and aims to phase-in this funding by the 2023-24 school year. Due to changes in factors that the formula takes into consideration, the Menands UFSD was allocated an increase in this aid for school years through 2023-24. The Foundation Aid funds for the 2021-22 school year was incorporated into the budget and addressed the following:

      • Eliminating the achievement gap
      • Addressing student social-emotional health
      • Providing adequate resources to English language learners, students with disabilities and students experiencing homelessness

      The 2021-22 budget was approved by the voters of our community, and stakeholders were involved throughout the budget process by participating in budget workshops, hearings and through the voting process. This budget had an 80 percent approval rate from the community.