This page provides links to current and past budget and tax information.
Below is the information provided to residents prior to the budget vote
On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, residents of the Central Valley Central School District will go to the polls to vote on the district’s proposed $62,398,398 budget for the 2025-26 school year. The proposal would increase spending 2.99 percent or $1,812,030 from the current year. This would result in a $298,866 increase in the tax levy. The proposed levy is at the district’s tax levy limit and will require a simple majority for approval.
Budget highlights:
Why a tax levy increase?
“For the first time since the merger in 2013, we find ourselves facing serious budget challenges,” said Business Administrator Jim Humphrey.
“We used our merger incentive aid and our federal pandemic funds to maintain student opportunities and to insulate our taxpayers from increases. Knowing those funds would disappear, we saved as much as the state would allow. The goal was to plan for the future.”
Humphrey said there was one thing the district could not anticipate.
“The state helps fund schools based on enrollment. If our enrollment falls, our state aid falls. Our enrollment is down roughly 200 students, which translates into a loss of about $1.3 million in state aid.”
The loss of revenue combined with normal inflationary increases leaves the district with roughly a $2 million shortfall.
“Our first step is to use our savings and then we tighten our belts,” Humphrey said. “We are aligning our staffing numbers with our student numbers. As people retire, we will not fill those vacancies unless we need those positions to maintain our academic programs and support services.”
Budget includes state-funded project
The budget includes a $100,000 state-funded capital outlay project to replace the lighting fixtures at Barringer Road with high-efficiency LED lights. New York State provides school districts 98 percent aid to pay for smaller projects. These projects do not require separate voter approval.
Key numbers – 2025-26 budget
District Business Administrator Jim Humphrey will present the budget to the public at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13 in the Central Valley Academy LGI.
There are four steps to voting by absentee or early ballot:
Three candidates are vying for two open seats. Candidates will appear on the ballot in the following order:
Required budget information online—New York State law requires that school districts post certain budget information online for the public to review. Below find PDFs of each required report. If you have any trouble accessing the information in the PDFs, please contact the district business office at 315-894-5000, press 6. Copies are also available from the district office.
Paying your tax bill
Early in September, Herkimer County prints and mails Central Valley CSD’s property tax bills. Taxes must be paid in full and are due no later than Oct. 1. Taxes paid after Oct. 1 are subject to a 2 percent fee. Taxes may be paid by mail or in person.
To pay by mail, make checks payable to Cherri L Hyer, Central Valley CSD Receiver of Taxes and mail to:
Cherri L Hyer
Central Valley CSD Receiver of Taxes
PO Box 160
Mohawk, NY 13407
To pay in person:
66 E Main St, Mohawk, NY
9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Mon.-Fri.
Phone: 315-866-0500
The office is closed Labor Day and Columbus Day.
As we present this year’s school budget to the community, I want to take a moment to go deeper into the factors behind the proposed 3.40% tax levy increase.
We understand the need for fiscal responsibility. We strive to make financial decisions that protect our program—and our taxpayers. This is especially important during times of economic uncertainty. Despite our best attempts, however, declining revenues and increased expenses put us in a difficult spot.
More than 80 percent of our funding comes from state aid. The majority of that is Foundation Aid, an amount based on student enrollment and attendance. Central Valley saw roughly 200 students leave our district last year, meaning we will lose about $1.3 million in aid. To put that in perspective, we would need to raise the tax levy by 15 percent to make up for that loss.
At the same time, inflation is driving up the cost of everything. You know—you see your grocery and utility bills. Also, we are unsure about the future of federal funding for Pre-K and high-need programs.
Since the merger, each board of education has worked to keep tax increases below the state’s “tax cap.” If we had simply stayed at the cap, taxes would be 30 percent higher than they are today. We know our community and took steps to avoid placing that level of financial burden on our friends and neighbors.
But now, we find ourselves proposing a budget that includes a tax increase to sustain the programs and services our students rely on. As stewards of your resources, this is not something we do lightly.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions and thank you for your continued trust in our schools.
-Jeremy Rich, Superintendent
search school tax bills for any property in the school district
Definition of terms used in the budget process