The Dunkirk City School District has confirmed its plans to offer a zero tax increase in its 2025-26 budget.

Board of Education members desired the zero increase in response to the city of Dunkirk government’s 84% tax hike. The district is foregoing its annual 2% tax boost, which it does on the advice of financial advisor Richard Timbs, so residents don’t have to deal with two tax hikes in one year.

District officials went over the proposed ’25-’26 budget at a Board of Education meeting last week. Residents of the district get the final vote on the budget May 20.

Debra McAvoy, outgoing Superintendent Michael Mansfield’s financial assistant, did most of the talking. She said that the district will demand the same tax levy for the $60,625,000 spending plan as it did for the 2024-25 budget.

The upcoming budget represents a 3.16% rise in expenditures from 2024-25.

McAvoy noted that there is uncertainty as to what state aid the school is getting, because New York hasn’t passed a budget yet. “We could have more — hopefully we won’t have less,” she said.

“We’ll see a big increase in the revenues for interest because we are earning quite a bit of revenue on our interest-bearing accounts,” McAvoy continued. That line is up $450,000 from 2024-25. Revenue from renting to BOCES is also up $69,000.

McAvoy noted that another proposition on the May 20 ballot will ask voters to approve a new capital reserve fund. The district will transfer $4 million to the new fund from an unemployment reserve, if voters approve the proposition.

A public hearing on the budget is set for May 6.