Fulton Cut 59 Employees Last Year. Now They’re Cutting 54 More. And the Tax Vote Needs a Supermajority.

Two years of cuts. 113 positions eliminated from a district of 650 employees. That’s what the Fulton City School District is facing if the proposed 2026-2027 budget passes as written.

Last year, Fulton cut 59 positions. Some were restored using $3,850,000 in reserves drawn from ERS, TRS, and employee benefits funds. That lifeline is gone. This year, the proposed $94.5 million budget carries a $5 million gap that administrators plan to close by eliminating 54 more positions — 30 instructional, 1 administrative.

Superintendent Douglas Lawrence was direct: “Absolutely. That is our number one concern right now, is the impact.”

The Supermajority Problem

Here’s the fact that changes everything about this vote: Fulton’s proposed 2.85% property tax increase exceeds the New York State 2% tax cap. Under state law, that means the budget requires a 60% supermajority to pass on May 19 — not a simple majority.

If voters reject the budget twice, the district must adopt a contingency budget with 0% levy growth — freezing the tax levy at the prior year’s level and forcing even deeper cuts.

Spending $7,000 Less Per Student

Fulton spends $25,247 per pupil. The state median is $32,209. The state average is $36,293. Despite spending roughly $7,000 less per student than the state median, Fulton’s graduation rate has been trending up — from 83% to 87% over recent years.

But the test scores tell a different story. Grade 3 ELA proficiency: 21%. Grade 4 ELA: 25%. These are well below state averages, and they’re the foundation that determines everything downstream.

The Structural Crisis

Fulton receives approximately $67 million in annual state aid — roughly 71% of its entire budget. When Albany sends a 2% foundation aid increase, it barely dents a deficit driven by healthcare, gas, and electricity costs that have surged 55% since 2022-2023.

The district’s 3,004 students are 38.8% economically disadvantaged. Average teacher salary: $53,192. The tax impact: $52 more per year on a $100K home; $127 on $200K; $202 on $300K.

For a district that has now eliminated 17% of its total workforce in two years, the margin for further cuts without impacting classrooms is zero.