Residents casting ballots in this spring’s annual Red Hook Central School District budget vote will weigh in on several propositions that would support student achievement and staff efficiency.
The district Board of Education on Friday approved its slate of propositions for this year’s vote, which will be held May 19.
There are six propositions on the ballot in all, with the first being the 2026-27 operating budget itself. In addition, there will be two open Board of Education seats to fill.
Proposition 2 asks residents to approve $1.16 million for upgrades to Red Hook High School. The school is planning to launch a welding career and technical education pathway program, and the funding would allow for necessary infrastructure improvements to the technology classrooms.
Proposition 3 would allow the district to renovate and expand on its existing bus garage located at Linden Avenue Middle School. The project includes new vehicle lifts and other vehicle maintenance facilities, expanded spaces for offices and staff break and training rooms, improvements to increase safety and remove hazards, and upgrades to bus storage facilities. The projected total cost is $14.725 million, though $1 million of that would be paid from the district’s Capital Reserve Fund and some, but not all, of the total would be eligible for state aid reimbursement.
Proposition 4, if approved, would allow the district to purchase six vehicles: three hybrid SUVs, two gas-powered 16-passenger buses and one maintenance plow truck. Residents are being asked to approve spending $530,000 on the proposition. The final expense is projected to be roughly $332,000 after state aid.
Propositions 5 and 6 ask voters to approve an increase in budgets for local libraries and are not tied to the school district’s operations or budget.
Learn more about the ballot at www.redhookcentralschools.org/find-voting-information and read more below.

Technology facilities upgrades
The district is planning to implement a welding CTE pathway, expanding on its existing trades education offerings with several new classes. Read more about the pathway and reasons behind it here.
To make that possible, technology teacher Steve Hutman said, his existing classrooms require upgrades through Proposition 2 to best serve not only the new welding needs but also the existing woodworking classes.
The work would include ventilation and electrical upgrades to the main shop in room 185, including new outlets to accommodate new welding equipment. The plan calls for there to be 10 dedicated welding booths in the room, each with its own outlets.
“Welding produces smoke and gases,” Hutman said. “That all needs to be ventilated out for the safety of the students and also, too, just to be up to (OSHA) code.”
Room 185 is currently a combined space that includes metal and woodworking instruction. Under the proposition, adjoining classroom Room 183 would be converted into a dedicated woodshop, creating separation. That room, too, would need upgrades to accommodate the extra ventilation needed to deal with the additional sawdust that would be created and the electrical needs of the machinery.
“That’s important,” Hutman said. “We really shouldn’t be grinding metal in the same room as we have dry wood. … With the increase in students enrolling in both the metal and wood programs it just makes sense to have a separate, dedicated space.”

Bus Garage expansion
Under Proposition 3, the headquarters for the district’s Transportation Department and home to most of its vehicle fleet would receive upgrades to improve safety, fix broken equipment and repair dilapidated structures. The bus garage is cramped due both to the size of the the buses and to a lack of storage.
An expansion would include new vehicle lifts and a new wash bay; currently one vehicle lift is broken and cannot be easily repaired, while the wash bay and the other vehicle lift – which is more than two decades old – are in need of service. The layout of the addition would also led itself to bus bays that would not require drivers to back out of their spaces, which would add to safety. New storage areas would likewise alleviate clutter impacting available space to operate in repair bays, further adding to the safety of employees.
The expansion would also allow for more office spaces, including a break room and training room for the drivers and private offices for staff. Currently, Transportation Department leadership does not have space within the building for private or confidential conversations, sharing cramped offices with thin walls, and the break area does not fit the department’s drivers.
“We want to give our school employees a better environment to work in,” Transportation Director Anthony Curcio said.
The existing bus storage barn would be paved – the floor is currently uneven gravel – and its beaten-up doors would be replaced. The whole structure would be extended forward by six feet, as it currently barely has enough room to fit an entire full-sized bus with the doors closed.
Meanwhile, electrical conduits and piping would be added to support possible future electrical needs.
The district is confident a large portion of the project will be eligible for state aid, which would reimburse roughly half of all eligible costs, though the final percentage is still to be determined.

Library budget propositions
Under the Education Law Section 259, school districts have the authority to levy taxes for a free association library. If a library requests that a budget proposition be placed before the voters, the school board must accommodate this request.
Proposition 5 relates to the Red Hook Library and asks that its annual appropriation be increased by $35,000 to a total of $269,400.
Proposition 6 relates to the Tivoli Free Library and asks that its annual appropriation be increased by $7,944 to a total of $115,364.

Annual budget proposal
The district’s proposed 2026-27 budget has yet to be finalized. It will be presented at the Board of Education’s meeting on April 21, which will start at 5 p.m. at the Mill Road Elementary School PK-2 cafeteria.
The district will then hold its public hearing for the budget 7 p.m. May 7, immediately following this year’s Budget Expo. Both events will be held at Mill Road Elementary School.

Board of Education openings
There will be two seats on this year’s ballot, each carrying three-year terms. The seats are currently occupied by Russ Crafton and Kate Kortbus, whose terms expire June 30. Residents wishing to be added to the ballot have until April 20 to file the necessary petition. Learn more at www.redhookcentralschools.org/run-for-boe

How to vote
Polls on May 19 will be open from noon to 9 p.m. at Mill Road Elementary School's 3-5 cafeteria, located at 9 Mill Rd., Red Hook, NY, 12571. Residents can also submit a ballot via absentee, military or early mail-in voting. Learn more at www.redhookcentralschools.org/find-voting-information