[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6165052,"mediaKeyId","5426246-00095c176911ecd1bd8a2183da2295a2","parentId",5426246,"title","Ossining district outlines federal grant shortfalls and policy choices as budgets are finalized","audioSeconds",479,"startMs",3171000,"endMs",3650000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5426246-00095c176911ecd1bd8a2183da2295a2&start=3171&end=3650","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5426246-00095c176911ecd1bd8a2183da2295a2/thumbnail_3171000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6165052/New-York/Ossining-district-outlines-federal-grant-shortfalls-and-policy-choices-as-budgets-are-finalized","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165052-a6732c3a7b0c8be210cf52d5db0da760/orig.mp4?Expires=1775204334&Signature=L3Bb6WgQ3agAvll46rEHqLUdMRPWm74L9vmGgUfjXCxGKTyjAQXamj8-MLXkkW2CidxN2N23KDNeIURk1AlmiHY1bYebOQRIzVckuDfbajleciTwaf1y9qwOvorlqJ3Hk1eNz0kTt2dvLHoTqbc0adXTLCKVrjQ0aqLU-PVBlGm1WR686~WWy2ERre2V0Z-0nj3BbcAzQFTTpwVcgNU7f7idCEDzSSHiuDIGsXsqoB0fSUeJOXtrSLNxPe3jDIA-EX0lGu~ZU4aJSlETRRkkEgAmFirLIndnFf9cROlwHtBbFSV4TFB9K0iBCOMxDsef~oAtCVyfP1YA3sobqk9xpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-17T18:53:26Z","article","The Ossining Board of Education received an update July 9 from Superintendent Mary Fox Alter and Assistant Superintendent for Business Alita McCoy on federal and state grant funding that the district had factored into the 2025–26 budget. The update identified confirmed reductions and outstanding funding decisions that together create a near‑term exposure for the district.

McCoy presented two tables: one showing confirmed grant awards and amounts as of the meeting date, and a second showing what had been assumed at budget time. She said confirmed federal grants already received include Title I, Title II and Title VI/619 amounts with small variances from budget assumptions, but that the district had received a notice this year that the five‑year school‑based mental health grant will end on Dec. 31, 2025 — which effectively covers only half of the 2025–26 fiscal year. That withdrawal creates a projected deficit of $631,000 tied to that program. McCoy said the district’s known federal grant deficit for 2025–26 at the time of the meeting was approximately $801,000; additional federal grant determinations for Title II, Title III (including the immigration allocation) and Title IV remained “to be determined” and could add about $409,000 in uncertainty.

“Obviously, we have a cushion to absorb that for this year, but we don’t know what’s going to happen with the federal government,” McCoy said. Superintendent Fox Alter noted that the district has taken steps to prepare: the budget included conservative estimates and the district had set aside funds that could serve as a cushion, and administrators had filed an appeal for the My Brother’s Keeper funding and been in contact with state and federal officials.

Board members asked clarifying questions about which awards were formally rescinded versus simply unannounced. McCoy said the mental health grant had been explicitly changed; other amounts were pending. She and Fox Alter said the district would not automatically assume ongoing program funding; instead, administrators said they would consider using one‑time reserves or capital reserves for transitional support while they weigh longer‑term budget options for 2026–27.

McCoy described the district’s near‑term fund balance and reserves: the district retains a fund balance above the recommended 4 percent, and the available cushion was described in the meeting as roughly $5 million above that 4 percent target, depending on final audit results. The district has been considering how much, if any, of the one‑time carryover should be placed into restricted reserves versus held as available fund balance to accommodate unpredictable grant outcomes.

Board members discussed the fiscal tradeoffs. Several trustees said they favored keeping a larger one‑time cushion to avoid mid‑year program cuts; others raised the importance of transparency with the public about the district’s contingency planning. The superintendent said audit timing and the state’s final apportionments would influence final budget actions, and she asked the board to consider policy choices — such as whether to use fund balance, capital reserves, or other one‑time sources — when the audit and grant determinations are final.

Administrators also pointed trustees to an upcoming public presentation on Title funding and federal grants scheduled for July 24, and said they would provide additional information to the board as new guidance and allocations were announced. “We are aware that we’re over 4 percent,” McCoy said, and described next steps: present final audited figures, decide whether to place one‑time funds into reserve accounts, and plan how to sustain or scale programs that had relied on grant funding if federal dollars are not restored.

The board did not take formal budget actions at the meeting; trustees asked for further financial modeling and options in time for fall budget planning and the district’s regular fiscal cycle.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Reorganization Meeting July 9 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent Mary Fox Alter and business officials told the board the district faces uncertainty and confirmed reductions in federal grant funding, including a mental‑health grant ending Dec. 31, 2025, leaving the district with a projected federal grant deficit of roughly $801,000 for fiscal 2025–26.","taxTitle","OSSINING UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",38331,"location","New York","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6165057,"Ossining school board advances library’s $30 million bond vote after technical briefing",3556,1245000,4801000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5426246-00095c176911ecd1bd8a2183da2295a2&start=1245&end=4801","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5426246-00095c176911ecd1bd8a2183da2295a2/thumbnail_1245000.jpg","/articles/6165057/New-York/Ossining-school-board-advances-librarys-30-million-bond-vote-after-technical-briefing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165057-1c343808226b51a02aa95dfef63eec1b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775204334&Signature=JnujVIGPeqFQMDknVUCn~Bl0KDO643zttMSOkKM9I9dcieTWrIwvbnGCEZXDgC2yKyD2VCVP2Qck-pwWeMpeMzR8uZoVKZm4PLpcKdXxtkcBurIueTyHtIwij~LgLbd48XZXYJ5WwcoeYVpDbHjINk69m4RGq1aYB0UueV5E-QH8ZQF8dCQbVqSdAlY1XClXt1pfrLiUlMvjGsZG2wANxDM094Yp5Ar8Fl3kQg6M7wQBet5doyfNfoBZGvgSemRzrhfwwwzx1Ebixz5rVpPvfDGrWKsQw6RD3KLDfAlz1mAigRyi22MyZcOeNPqCLQ4QES4k64xyLDKrcpWP4xJbbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Ossining Board of Education voted July 9 to place a $30 million bond proposal from the Ossining Public Library on a special district ballot, advancing the library’s plan to repair a failing retaining wall, update heating and cooling systems, make accessibility improvements and undertake interior renovations. The board moved resolution 6.1 to call a special district meeting and authorize the levy of taxes to support the spending; the vote on the resolution was approved by the board during the meeting.

The action followed a presentation by Karen LaRocca Fells, director of the Ossining Public Library, who described key elements of the project and the proposed schedule. “The key pieces of our proposal include repairs to our retaining wall and drainage…accessibility improvements in the parking lot…a new heating and cooling system…roof repairs…and service‑related upgrades,” LaRocca Fells said. She said the bond would be for 15 years and the library estimates an average taxpayer increase of $184 per year, using district full market values to calculate an average impact. The library is targeting a public vote on September 16, 2025.

LaRocca Fells described a phased approach: exterior work, including the retaining wall, stormwater drainage and parking reconfiguration, would start in spring 2026; interior work, including HVAC replacement, was planned for 2027–28, though the library said it might fast‑track some interior HVAC work after a recent equipment failure. “We have lost a critical piece of equipment just recently, and we’re looking to see if we can push ahead with some of that work sooner rather than later,” she said.

Board members pressed library officials on cost, oversight and contingency planning. Trustee Phil Rice, a licensed engineer and chair of the library’s buildings and grounds and finance committees, said the library had retained engineers, architects and a construction project manager (Calgee Construction) and that the retained firms were experienced. “I’m helping the board and Karen and Molly to watch what our consultants are doing very closely,” Rice said. He said engineers monitoring the retaining wall were experienced and that routine monthly monitoring had been established.

Superintendent Mary Fox Alter and Assistant Superintendent for Business Alita McCoy described procedural options for board oversight. McCoy explained that the resolution before the board authorized the special district meeting and the bond ballot; she said the district currently is not the “lead agency” for any SEQRA/environmental review (the transcript used the term “seeker” during the exchange) and that making the district the lead would require rescinding portions of the draft resolution and would likely delay the library timeline.

Several trustees, including Trustee Melissa Banta and Trustee Frank (surname not specified in the record), said they supported putting the bond before voters but asked for stronger oversight assurances and clearer documentation for the community. Trustee Roger Bhattacharya, attending remotely, urged library officials to prepare public communications showing how cost estimates were developed. LaRocca Fells said professional estimators prepared the cost estimates and that the library would put work out to competitive bid for construction, which could lower final prices.

Library representatives said they had included contingency amounts in the bond estimate and planned public information sessions for technical questions, including sessions with engineers and architects on July 22, July 29 (Spanish language) and August 17. LaRocca Fells also said the library had identified possible additional state grants and fundraising to reduce pressure on the bond portion.

Board discussion also addressed liability and the relationship between the library’s independent board and the school district. Legal counsel and bond counsel had advised the Board of Education that the district should not assume lead‑agency responsibility for the library project or accept direct project management responsibility because of potential added liability, cost and staffing needs, McCoy said. Board members debated whether a memorandum of agreement (MOA) or memorandum of understanding (MOU) could provide middle‑ground oversight; staff said an MOA would need to be negotiated and included in the resolution and would delay the town’s timeline.

The board adopted resolution 6.1 to call a special district meeting and authorize the levy of a tax for the Ossining Public Library’s bond. Board members and library officials said they expect to continue coordination; LaRocca Fells and her trustees invited questions and scheduled public outreach to explain technical details and project phasing to voters.

A vote on the bond itself will occur only if the district voters approve the September 16 special district ballot item; library staff said they will manage bidding and construction only after funding is secured. Library and board officials repeatedly emphasized the project would be staged to address the most critical exterior safety concerns first — notably the retaining wall and stormwater — and that unresolved critical failures could force continued partial closures or space restrictions if funding is not approved.","The Ossining Board of Education moved to place a $30 million bond for the Ossining Public Library on a September 16 special district ballot after hearing project details, timeline and oversight questions from trustees, the superintendent and library officials.","actionData","errors"]

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Ossining district outlines federal grant shortfalls and policy choices as budgets are finalized

Ossining school board advances library’s $30 million bond vote after technical briefing