District overview
Yonkers City School District
How Yonkers pays for its schools, who decides, and what is changing in 2026-27.
Who pays for Yonkers schools, and who decides?
Yonkers is one of New York's five big-city school districts. A nine-member Board of Education appointed by the Mayor adopts the budget, but about 36% of the money comes from the City of Yonkers under a fixed 'maintenance of effort' payment, and most of the rest is state aid. The district says the state formula under-counts Westchester's costs, and it has covered the difference by drawing down savings that are now nearly gone.
The city pays $298.4 million of $822.5 million
The 2026-27 adopted budget lists $298,370,791 from the City of Yonkers (a $247.9 million base, $21.6 million of sales tax and $28.9 million toward debt). The City Council also votes on the city budget that includes this payment; the district's slides list a May 26, 2026 City Council budget hearing.
State aid is the other big piece
State aid is $457.0 million, plus $19.6 million of video-lottery aid and $26.0 million of 'bullet aid' (extra aid added by lawmakers). In 2025 testimony the Superintendent called the earlier $12 million of bullet aid one-time money that does not repeat.
Savings are nearly used up
The adopted budget balances with $18.0 million of the district's savings. In January 2026 the Superintendent told state lawmakers reserves were 'nearly depleted'. In March the slides showed a gap of $101.3 million before city, state and savings help.
Who decides
The Mayor appoints the nine trustees to five-year terms; there is no public school-board election. The board adopted the 2026-27 budget on June 17, 2026. Parents can speak at the 'Communications from the Community' session before each monthly Stated Meeting, signing up by noon that day.
The gap figures are the district's own early estimates and shrank as city and state money arrived. The budget adopted in June is balanced. Yonkers also reports a 90% graduation rate, so these numbers do not by themselves show the schools are poorly run.
Where the district stands
Up 1.45% from $810,723,013 in 2025-26. All funds in the consolidated budget.
About 36% of revenue.
Foundation Aid and other state funding; separate from $26.0 million bullet aid and $19.6 million lottery aid.
In 2025-26 the district planned to use $25.6 million of savings; it proposed none in March 2026.
Spending $877.9 million against $776.7 million of revenue; later cut by city and state help.
Down 3,205 from the 2016-17 peak of 26,598; 23,075 projected for 2026-27.
Required state-aid plan; 38 schools listed, each with a dollar amount for 'time on task'.
State bond money for technology and school facilities; $7,275,400 of it proposed for Apple devices.
Context, not a reported figure: $822,451,205 divided by 23,393 students. The budget also pays charter and out-of-district tuition, busing and debt service, so it is not what is spent in a classroom.
Major projects
Closing School 21 and reshaping grades
School 21 closing; other changes proposedThe district has enough seats but 21 schools are over capacity and 15 are under-used. In May 2026 the Superintendent proposed closing School 21, moving 7th-8th grades from School 16, School 23 and Kahlil Gibran School into other schools, cutting one pre-K class at six schools, and turning Barack Obama Middle School into a grades 9-12 high school. On May 29 he wrote that the School 21 closure would go ahead and the other steps would be reviewed against final funding.
- Preliminary budget slides propose reconfiguring the Obama middle school grades
- Proposed budget lists closure, grade moves, pre-K cuts and 146 position cuts
- Superintendent says School 21 closure will proceed
- Board adopts the 2026-27 budget
Funding
District operating budget savings from staffing and busing
Obama grade change estimated to save about $2 million
2026-27 budget adoption
Adopted June 17, 2026After a $101 million early gap, city and state added money and the board adopted a balanced $822.5 million budget using $18 million of savings.
- Superintendent testifies on the State Executive Budget
- Preliminary budget presented
- Proposed budget presented
- Board adopts budget
Funding
City of Yonkers, state aid, bullet aid and fund balance
All-day phone and device restriction
In effect for 2026-27Board Policy 5695 bars internet-enabled devices all school day. Secondary students store devices in Yondr pouches. The district must publish a yearly enforcement report, with the first due September 1, 2026.
- Board adopts revised Policy 5695, 6-0
- Newsletter reminds families of the pouch rule
Funding
Not stated; the district asked the state for money for secure storage
Apple devices for students and staff
Public hearing held July 15, 2026A proposed Smart Schools Bond Act amendment would spend $7,275,400 on 10,600 iPads and 1,710 MacBook Neo laptops.
- Instructional Technology Plan filed with NYSED
- Public hearing listed on board calendar
Funding
2014 Smart Schools Bond Act state allocation
Recent news
Built from the district's own budget slides and adopted budget, state-filed plans, Board Policy 5695, the board calendar feed and the Superintendent's weekly newsletters. Board agendas and minutes sit on a separate agenda site that could not be read, so board votes are described only where another district document reports them.
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