District overview
Syracuse City School District
Who pays for, runs and decides things in Syracuse city schools
Who pays for Syracuse schools, and who approves the budget?
Most of the money comes from New York State. In the 2026-27 plan, state aid was about $530.8 million of $639.5 million proposed (roughly 83 percent). The city levy adds $68.4 million, held flat. The elected Board of Education sets the budget and sends it to the Mayor for the City of Syracuse budget. The board itself adopts the budget. Savings (fund balance) and a state aid advance help close the gap.
Budget size
The board adopted $634,097,000 on Apr 29, 2026, then amended it to $634,000,000 on Jul 8, 2026 after the state added $6.178 million in Foundation Aid.
Savings and advances
The adopted budget used $24.5 million of fund balance and a $31.7 million Chapter One state aid advance. After the July amendment, fund balance use is $18.6 million ($15.6 million unassigned and $3 million committed).
Rising costs
Benefits were planned up $8.9 million (8.0 percent) and charter school tuition up $2.5 million; in September 2026 the finance chief said benefits were coming in much higher than budgeted.
Who decides
A seven-member Board of Education (President Tamica Barnett, Vice President Ranette Releford, Commissioners Karen Cordano, Mary Habib, Desire Ndagijimana, Gwendolyn Raeford, Michael Root) votes on budgets, policies and contracts at monthly business meetings, after work sessions and committee meetings. The Superintendent is Pamela Odom.
Jobs in the plan
The adopted plan abolished 37.0 General Fund positions and created 68.0 (net plus 31.0), and cut 14.5 grant-fund positions.
The documents show how the budget was balanced, not whether classroom funding is enough. Syracuse also receives federal and grant money outside this General Fund.
Where the district stands
Used by the District to compute contract cost per student.
Adopted at $634,097,000 on Apr 29, 2026; proposed at $639,514,886.
Context: $634,000,000 divided by 18,812 students. This covers General Fund only and includes charter tuition, transportation, benefits and debt, so it is not classroom spending per child.
Up $16.2 million (3.1 percent) from 2025-26.
Down from $24.5 million at adoption; $30.0 million in the February proposal.
About $8.74 million per year.
Major projects
Joint Schools Construction Board Phase III (ten school renovations)
Design stage for the first three schoolsState law allows $400 million to renovate ten school buildings. Architects are designing Nottingham High School, Webster Elementary and Seymour Dual Language Academy first. The board is asked to move Syracuse STEM at Blodgett earlier and Delaware Primary later.
- State law raises Phase III funding to $400 million
- Board approves Phase III Comprehensive Plan
- State Education Department approves the plan
- State Comptroller approves the financial plan
- Construction manager awarded for first three projects
- Architects present designs for Nottingham, Webster and Seymour
- Board agenda: swap Blodgett and Delaware order
Funding
State-authorized $400 million program financed through City bond anticipation notes ($2 million and $4 million in place) and later bonds
Design and public meetings are ongoing.
Syracuse STEAM High School lease and phase-in
Open; lease being finalizedThe STEAM High School opened to students on July 1, 2025 in a county-built building leased by the district. The board is asked to approve a lease amendment reflecting final costs.
- Students begin at STEAM High School
- Lease amendment reviewed at work session
- Lease amendment on business meeting agenda
Funding
General Fund lease payments of about $8.74 million per year, plus $2 million committed fund balance in 2026-27
2027-28 budget cycle
Calendar setThe 2027-28 budget calendar is on the board's Oct 14, 2026 agenda. Last year's cycle: proposal in February, adoption in April, amendment after the state budget.
- 2027-28 budget timeline reviewed
- Budget calendar on business meeting agenda
Funding
General Fund: state aid, city levy and fund balance
Recent news
Figures marked verified come from board resolutions, minutes or presentations collected from the district's public meeting portal (Oct 2025 to Oct 2026). Calculations and outside comparisons are marked context. Enrollment elsewhere in NCES data (18,398 in 2022) differs from the 2026 board figure.
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