Fact Sheet 19-12: 98.2% Passage Rate for School Budgets

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On May 21^st, voters across the state approved 663 school budgets and defeated twelve – a 98.2 percent passage rate, slightly above last year’s passage rate of 97.6%. Of the twelve districts that experienced a budget defeat, nine were attempting to pierce their Tax Levy Limit and therefore needed a super-majority (60 percent) for approval. Five of those nine districts (Brighton, Clymer, Eastport-South Manor, Johnstown and Lansingburgh) had support from more than 50% of the voters, but failed to reach the 60% super-majority threshold.

Districts with a defeated budget may resubmit the same budget to the voters, resubmit a revised budget to the voters, or adopt a contingency budget. If a school district chooses to have a budget revote, it must take place on June 18^th – the third Tuesday in June. If a second budget proposal is defeated, the district must adopt a contingency budget.    Districts that adopt a contingency budget may not increase the tax levy above the previous year's levy—a 0 percent cap.

The following page provides a listing of those districts that had their budget defeated.

2019 Budget Defeats (by County) 

* District needed a super-majority 60% for approval.

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Revised June 2019