Public hearing on school budget and election scheduled for May 7, 2026.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY

LEGAL NOTICE





KATONAH-LEWISBORO UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

KATONAH, NEW YORK







NOTICE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET,

SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTION AND BUDGET VOTE




PUBLIC HEARING FOR

SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET VOTE

MAY 7, 2026




NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Board of Education of the Katonah-Lewisboro Union Free School District, Westchester County, New York, that it will hold the Public Hearing on the Budget of the qualified voters of said School District in the Library at John Jay High School, Cross River, New York, in said School District, on Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 7:00 p.m., prevailing time, for the purpose of presenting the budget document for the 2026-2027 School Year.




NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Annual Meeting and Vote on the Budget will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the three (3) election districts hereinafter set forth, between the hours of 6:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M., prevailing time, when the polls will be open for the purpose of voting, by voting machine:







A. To vote upon the appropriation of funds in the amount of $131,816,402 to meet the estimated expenditures for school district purposes for the 2026-2027 School Year (the Budget).




B. To vote on Capital Reserve Authorization Proposition




C. To vote on LES Renovation for UPK Center Proposition




D. To elect two (2) members to the Board of Education for a three-year term, from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029 and elect (1) member to the Board of Education to fill the balance of an unexpired term, from May 19, 2026 to June 30, 2028.







NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a Capital Reserve Fund Proposition in substantially the following form shall be presented to the qualified voters of the District at such Annual District Meeting and Election:

PROPOSITION # 2 (CAPITAL RESERVE FUND AUTHORIZATION)




RESOLVED:

(a) That the Board of Education of the Katonah-Lewisboro Union Free School District, in the County of Westchester, New York (the “District”), is hereby authorized to construct athletic, recreational and safety and security improvements to various District facilities and sites (the “Project”), substantially as described in a plan prepared by the District with the assistance of H2M Architects (the “Plan”), which is on file and available for public inspection in the office of the District Clerk, including athletic infrastructure renovations and upgrades, in accordance with the Building Condition Survey, improvements to the JJHS track, AP fields, and other necessary athletic facility upgrades and renovations; and also to construct improvements to the safety and security systems, including exterior door replacements, ADA improvements and floor resurfacing, the foregoing to include all furnishings, equipment, machinery, apparatus, and ancillary and related site, demolition and other work required in connection therewith; and to expend for all of the foregoing an amount not to exceed the estimated total cost of $2,500,000; provided that the estimated costs of the components of the Project as set forth in detail in the Plan may be reallocated among such components if the Board of Education shall determine that such reallocation is in the best interests of the District; and

(b) that the amount of $2,500,000 from the District’s “2015 Renovations and Upgrades Capital Reserve”, approved by the voters of the District on May 19, 2015, is hereby authorized to be expended to pay the cost of the Project, and such expenditure is hereby approved.

Such Capital Reserve Fund Proposition shall appear on the ballots used for voting at said Annual District Meeting and Election in substantially the following condensed form:




CAPITAL RESERVE FUND PROPOSITION

RESOLVED :

(a) That the Board of Education of the Katonah-Lewisboro Union Free School District, in the County of Westchester, New York (the “District”), is hereby authorized to construct athletic, recreational and safety and security improvements to various District facilities and sites and to expend not to exceed the estimated maximum cost of $2,500,000 therefor; and (b) that the amount of $2,500,000 from the District’s “2015 Renovations and Upgrades Capital Reserve”, approved by the voters of the District on May 19, 2015, is hereby authorized to be expended to pay such cost, and such expenditure is hereby approved.




NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a Bond Proposition in substantially the following form shall be presented to the qualified voters of the District at such Annual District Meeting and Election:




BOND PROPOSITION # 3 – LES RENOVATION FOR UPK CENTER




RESOLVED:

(a) That the Board of Education of the Katonah-Lewisboro Union Free School District, in the County of Westchester, New York (the “District”), is hereby authorized to construct alterations and improvements to Lewisboro Elementary School to provide for a Universal Pre-K Program (the “Project”), substantially as described in a plan prepared by the District with the assistance of H2M Architects (the “Plan”), which is on file and available for public inspection in the office of the District Clerk, including roof replacements; interior reconstruction and space reconfiguration; façade improvements; HVAC and mechanical system upgrades and improvements; playground/field enhancements and parking and sidewalk improvements; all of the foregoing to include all furnishings, equipment, machinery, apparatus, and ancillary and related site, demolition and other work required in connection therewith; and to expend therefor, including preliminary costs and costs incidental thereto and to the financing thereof, an amount not to exceed the estimated total cost of $24,500,000, provided that the estimated costs of the components of the Project as set forth in detail in the Plan may be reallocated among such components if the Board of Education shall determine that such reallocation is in the best interests of the District;

(b) that a tax is hereby voted in the aggregate amount of not to exceed $24,500,000 to pay such cost, said tax to be levied and collected in installments in such years and in such amounts as shall be determined by said Board of Education; and

(c) that in anticipation of said tax, bonds of the District are hereby authorized to be issued in the principal amount of not to exceed $24,500,000 and a tax is hereby voted to pay the interest on said bonds as the same shall become due and payable.




Such Bond Proposition shall appear on the ballots used for voting at said Annual District Meeting and Election in substantially the following condensed form:




BOND PROPOSITION # 3 – LES RENOVATION FOR UPK CENTER




RESOLVED :

(a) That the Board of Education of the Katonah-Lewisboro Union Free School District, in the County of Westchester, New York (the “District”), is hereby authorized to construct alterations and improvements to Lewisboro Elementary School to provide for a Universal Pre-K Program and to expend not to exceed the estimated maximum cost of $24,500,000 therefor; (b) that a tax is hereby voted in the aggregate amount of not to exceed $24,500,000 to pay such cost, said tax to be levied and collected in installments in such years and in such amounts as shall be determined by said Board of Education; and (c) that in anticipation of said tax, bonds of the District are hereby authorized to be issued in the principal amount of not to exceed $24,500,000 and a tax is hereby voted to pay the interest on said bonds as the same shall become due and payable.




The proceeds of the bonds authorized pursuant to the Bond Proposition set forth in Section 1 hereof, and any bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of said bonds, may be applied to reimburse the District for expenditures made for the purpose or purposes for which said bonds are authorized. The foregoing statement of intent with respect to reimbursement is made in conformity with Treasury Regulation Section 1.150-2 of the United States Treasury Department.




In the event any proposition must be presented in abbreviated form on the voting machine, there shall be prominently posted at the polling place in each election district the full text of the proposition and copies shall be available at such place for use by a qualified voter.




NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a copy of the statement of the amount of money which will be required to fund the School District’s Budget for 2026-2027, exclusive of public monies, may be obtained by any resident of the School District during business hours, during the fourteen days prior to the Annual Meeting on May 19, 2026, except Saturday, Sunday or holidays, at each schoolhouse within the School District and at the Administrative Office.




NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN “A Real Property Tax Exemption Report” prepared in accordance with Section 495 of the Real Property Tax Law will be annexed to any tentative/preliminary budget as well as the final adopted budget of which it will form a part; and shall be poste