PCSD Budget Vote May 19: What Pittsford Voters Need to Know
The Short Version
- Every registered New York voter living in the Pittsford Central School District can vote on May 19 — no separate school district registration is required, a fact that trips up residents every year.
- The 2025-26 budget came in at $168.2 million with a 2.34% tax levy increase within the state cap; the 2026-27 figures will be published at pittsfordschools.org/budget before the vote.
- If the budget fails twice, New York State law requires a contingency budget with a 0% tax levy increase — which in practice means cuts, not savings, as PCSD estimated a $3M+ reduction in a prior contingency scenario.
- The boys swim team just won its 24th consecutive Section V Class A championship — nearly a third of all Section V titles since 2000 belong to Pittsford.
- The Mendon Mock Trial team is heading to state finals, six OotM teams qualified for World Finals, and the Mendon Wind Ensemble earned Gold with Distinction at NYSSMA — all programs funded by the budget residents are being asked to approve.
- The 2025-26 budget passed with an 80% yes vote for the second year in a row, reflecting a community that treats its schools as infrastructure worth protecting.
When and Where to Vote
When and Where to Vote
May 19 is the date. Calkins Road Middle School is the place. Polls open at 7 AM and close at 9 PM — fourteen hours to cast a vote that directly shapes how your schools operate for the next year.
If you are a registered voter who lives within the Pittsford Central School District, you are already eligible. No separate school district registration is required. The New York State School Boards Association is clear on this: residency in the district and registration on the New York State rolls is all it takes. This trips people up every year — worth passing along to a neighbor who might assume otherwise.
Absentee ballots are available for those who cannot make it to Calkins Road in person. Applications and deadlines are posted on the Pittsford Central School District website. Mail-in applications typically close about a week before the vote; in-person pickup closes the day before. Check the district site for the specific 2026 deadlines.
What would it mean for your neighbor — the one who always means to go but hasn't made it yet — to show up this year?
What's on the Ballot
What's on the Ballot
The proposed 2026-27 budget funds the full operation of the Pittsford Central School District: teacher and staff salaries, academic programs, athletics, arts, transportation, and facilities. The detailed breakdown is available at pittsfordschools.org/budget — the district publishes budget work session presentations, line-item comparisons, and the proposed tax levy well in advance of the vote.
For context on what the numbers typically look like: last year's approved budget came in at $168.2 million, with a tax levy increase of 2.34% — within the New York State cap. The district has a track record of staying under the cap while preserving programming. According to PCSD, roughly 70% of the budget is funded by the local tax levy, with state aid and reserves covering the remainder.
For most homeowners, the number that matters most is the tax levy — the percentage by which the school portion of your property tax bill changes year over year.
The 2026-27 figures will be finalized and published before May 19. Before you vote, it is worth spending fifteen minutes with those documents. The information is public, clearly laid out, and directly relevant to a decision you are about to make.
Board of Education Election
Board of Education Election
The May 19 ballot also includes seats on the Pittsford Board of Education. The BOE sets district-wide policy, approves the annual budget, and hires and evaluates the superintendent. It is one of the few elected positions in Pittsford where every resident has a direct say in how the schools operate — not filtered through a city council or county legislature, but directly.
Board members serve three-year terms. The commitment is real: monthly meetings, budget workshops, committee work, and decisions that don't always have easy answers. Every person willing to step into that role is offering the community something that doesn't get named often enough.
Candidate statements and any scheduled public forums are available through PCSD's official communications. The League of Women Voters of the Rochester Metropolitan Area also typically publishes candidate guides for local school elections, offering a side-by-side look at where candidates stand.
Who do you want making decisions about the schools your neighbors' children attend?
What the District Has Built This Year
What the District Has Built This Year
A budget vote is easier to understand when you can see what the budget actually funds.
The boys swim team just won its 24th consecutive Section V Class A championship — a streak that has no parallel in the region. Since New York State began tracking boys swimming championships in 2000, Section V has won 61 titles, and nearly a third of them belong to Pittsford. That kind of sustained excellence doesn't happen by accident. It is built year over year, by coaches who stay and programs that are funded.
The Mendon Mock Trial team won the WNY Regional championship and is heading to state finals in Albany — one of the top eight teams in New York State. The Mendon High School Wind Ensemble earned Gold with Distinction at NYSSMA — the highest rating the New York State School Music Association awards in adjudicated performance. Six Pittsford Odyssey of the Mind teams qualified for the World Finals at Iowa State University, May 27-30 — six teams from one district competing on a global stage.
These are not arguments for a position. They are the record of what a funded school district produces. The programs already exist. The kids are already competing. The question on May 19 is whether the community continues to show up for them.
What gifts has this school community given — to your children, your neighbors, your block — that haven't been fully named yet?
What Happens If the Budget Fails
What Happens If the Budget Fails
Under New York State Education Law, if voters reject the proposed budget, the Board of Education can bring a revised version back for a second vote. If that second budget also fails, the district is required to adopt a contingency budget — and under New York's contingency rules, the tax levy cannot increase at all from the prior year.
A 0% levy increase sounds appealing in the abstract. In practice, schools don't operate in a static cost environment. Salaries rise with negotiated contracts, health insurance climbs, energy and transportation costs fluctuate. A flat levy against rising costs means cuts — to programs, to positions, or to services the current budget funds. In the 2024-25 budget cycle, PCSD noted that a contingency scenario would mean a reduction of over $3 million in budget support.
Pittsford has a strong history of community support for its schools. The 2025-26 budget passed with an 80% yes vote — for the second year in a row. That pattern reflects something real about how this community understands its schools: not as an obligation, but as infrastructure worth protecting.
The polls are open for fourteen hours on May 19. Come find out what you think — then vote.
