Sharon Springs 2026-27 School Budget Taking Shape

The Sharon Springs Joint Planning Board discussed the Sharon Solar Vista project and a proposed renovation of the Columbia Hotel at its March 18 meeting. Photo by Chris English.

SHARON SPRINGS — Officials in the Sharon Springs Central School District continue putting together next school year's budget, and the outlook continues to be not all that encouraging.

"There will be some cuts in the budget and it will hurt like always," District Business Manager Tony DiPace said at the Monday, March 23 school board meeting. "There is still a fairly substantial deficit. I have a few plans in place and the board can consider them as we move forward."

School Board President Helen Roberts repeated the complaint being heard in many school districts about insufficient state support for public education.

"There's not much we can do," she said of trying to generate too heavy a load of revenue at the local level. "We will do what we have to do. We're doing the best we can."

Specific budget figures should be available soon, DiPace said. He added that there is a state legislative proposal that would increase foundational state aid from the current 1 percent increase to a 2% hike. For Sharon Springs, the extra 1 percent _ if it happens _ would amount to about $40,000 and that doesn't do much to close the deficit or be any substantial help for the district's financial challenges, DiPace said.

Along with the budget outlook, there was also more discussion at the March 23 meeting on minimum state requirements for electric buses by 2028. DiPace said Sharon Springs is not really in a position to meet the requirements for various reasons and he is anticipating filing for a waiver.

He informed board members that an extensive renovation of the bus garage so it could adequately accommodate electric buses would cost about $4 million. One of the biggest expenses within that, he said, would be installing a 200,000-gallon water tank so that the garage— which is not on public water— would have the required fire suppression capabilities for a facility housing electric buses.

"I haven't heard anyone say they would like us to get an electric bus," Roberts said.

The bus garage renovation would likely be funded 82 percent by the state, with the district having to come up with the other 18 percent, DiPace said. Like any building project, it would have to be approved by school district voters, he added.

In other matters from the March 23 meeting, Business Teacher Cyle Conley gave a presentation on business courses offered at the school. Among other offerings, Conley teaches two classes of Introduction to Business for freshmen that include lessons on basic economics and business ownership.

Accounting I and II classes include instruction in basic accounting and bookkeeping and many other areas. Conley, who is also faculty advisor to the school's Future Business Leaders of America Club, said that going forward he would like to invite more business owners to come in and speak to students, take more field trips and update the business textbooks, among other goals.

He also wants to introduce a Marketing course into the curriculum and bring back a Business Law class. Conley said the feedback he has gotten from students has been enthusiastic and they seem to realize business education has a real practical application as they move forward in life.

"You are going to use any skills you learn in business," he said. Superintendent Tom Yorke added that he, Conley and others at the school would like to introduce some business education into the middle school grades, including what business related careers are out there.

Yorke noted that Conley offers five college-level courses — including the two accounting classes — with each worth three college credits. They are taught at Sharon Springs with oversight from SUNY Cobleskill, Yorke added.

The school board also adopted policies on safety, and security and safety, and did a second review of the 2026-27 school, holiday, and Board of Education meeting calendars.

Sharon Springs Central School business teacher Cyle Conley gave a presentation at the March 23 school board meeting. Photo by Chris English.