Liverpool Central School District Packet Summary — 2026-08-11
Regular Board Meeting
The Liverpool Central School District Board of Education is scheduled to consider a broad agenda covering 2026-27 property taxes, capital projects, school safety, the student Code of Conduct, contracts, personnel, health insurance, curriculum, and planning for the 2027-28 budget.
Key Items on the Agenda
2026-27 School and Library Tax Rates
The Board is scheduled to establish 2026-27 school and public library tax rates and authorize collection of school and library taxes. The packet recommends school tax rates per $1,000 of assessed value of $25.585020 in Salina and $787.825721 in Clay, with corresponding library rates of $1.102943 in Salina and $33.951520 in Clay.
The large difference in nominal rates reflects different municipal equalization rates: 68% for Salina and 2.21% for Clay. District materials illustrate that a property with a $250,000 full market value would have an estimated $4,350 school tax bill in either town after accounting for assessment and equalization.
The school tax warrant totals $103,729,377. Separate town warrants direct collection of $37,677,342.01 in Salina and $63,142,315.09 in Clay, with collection scheduled to begin on or about September 1 and end October 31.
Capital Projects and High School Cafeteria A/V System
The Board is scheduled to receive an update on multiple capital improvement projects. For the 2022 capital project, the packet lists a total referendum value of $98,934,922 after a previously approved $17.75 million reauthorization.
Phase B work is nearing completion at Liverpool High School and the Wetzel Road CTE Academy. The high school cafeteria punch list is reported as 90% complete, while the kitchen punch list is complete and the district is using the space.
The packet also revisits the high school cafeteria A/V system. Materials state that the Board rejected a proposal on June 8 and identify an August 11 update for Board approval. The specified system is designed to work in the full cafeteria or separately divided spaces and to shut off during emergency or PA announcements. The packet says changing the work from district-provided equipment to contractor-provided and installed equipment does not increase the cost of the work because the system was already included in the Phase B budget.
Phase C bids came in $9,442,427 under budget. The packet lists $8 million in unallocated funds available and says project advisers recommend restoring contingency and incidental funding that had previously been reduced for bid protection.
Smart Schools Bond Act Security Funding
The agenda includes a presentation on the New York State Smart Schools Bond Act and potential security improvements. Presentation materials report that Liverpool has $1,002,154.50 in remaining SSBA funds.
Potential security work presented includes upgraded access control, districtwide door monitoring, blue-light strobes and upgraded IP paging. Preliminary presentation figures list approximately $1.061 million for access-control migration and $975,025 for lockdown-related improvements. These figures are presented as a security upgrade budget review, not as an approved expenditure.
Major Financial and Contract Items
Cafeteria Redesign and Enhancement
The Board is scheduled to act on RFB-2027-001 for cafeteria redesign and enhancement services. The project is intended to transform K-8 cafeterias with signage and information stations emphasizing nutrition education.
Two proposals were received: TAKEFORM at $260,000 and Tacey LLC at $275,000. The review committee determined that TAKEFORM did not demonstrate compliance with mandatory material and installation requirements and did not submit required proof of insurance. Staff therefore recommends awarding the contract to Tacey LLC for an amount not to exceed $275,000.
The Food Service Department proposes paying 100% of the project cost from its self-funded food service fund balance. The packet states that New York State has already approved this type of use of those funds.
Trash Removal and Recycling
For RFB-2027-002, the district received one proposal for trash removal and recycling services. Syracuse Hauler Waste Removal, Inc. submitted a regular-service proposal of $136,675.62.
The review committee found the proposal responsive and compliant with the RFB requirements. Staff recommends awarding the work to Syracuse Hauler Waste Removal, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $136,675.62, with the superintendent authorized to execute the necessary agreement subject to legal review if applicable.
$2.76 Million Budget Transfer
The Board is scheduled to consider a budget transfer involving $2,757,200 moved between General Fund appropriation accounts. Because the transfers into and out of accounts balance, the report does not show an increase in the overall appropriation.
The supporting explanation cites several factors, including payroll lines affected by staffing changes and budget-code alignment, extended school year costs exceeding per-student allocations, timing of EPK student counts, and high-security project expenses from 2021 through 2023.
Stop-Loss and Health Insurance Renewals
The agenda includes action on the district's 2026-27 stop-loss coverage and health insurance renewals. Stop-loss insurance protects the self-insured district against unusually high individual claims.
The district increased its stop-loss deductible from $300,000 to $350,000 for 2025-26, and its benefits consultant was not recommending another deductible increase. The packet says the preliminary 2026-27 premium quote represented a 49% increase, or roughly $570,000, and that the consultant had requested a concession from the carrier.
Separate packet materials concerning Excellus describe approximately $130,000 in savings from combining medical and prescription-drug administration, a one-time pharmacy implementation allowance of approximately $70,000, a $20,000 annual wellness fund, and an additional approximately $90,000 in savings associated with pharmacy-plan commissions offsetting consultant fees. Those materials state that Excellus service fees for the September 1, 2026-August 31, 2027 plan year are not expected to exceed $2 million.
Policy, Safety and Governance
District-Wide Emergency Response Plan
The Board is scheduled to consider adoption of the 2026-2027 District-Wide Emergency Response Plan. The plan establishes district procedures for emergencies, evacuations, sheltering, lockdowns, communications, law-enforcement coordination and other safety responsibilities.
Among the material included for 2026-27 is a protocol governing law-enforcement requests to interview, detain or remove students. The protocol directs staff to notify district leadership, obtain information about the officer and legal authority, consult district legal counsel, and generally keep the student in a supervised location while the request is reviewed.
The plan also incorporates a cardiac emergency response annex under New York's Desha's Law and a remote-learning plan for one-day emergency closings. The plan calls for eight evacuation drills and four lockdown drills each year.
2026-27 Code of Conduct
The Board is scheduled to act on the district's 2026-2027 Code of Conduct. The draft establishes expectations and disciplinary procedures for students, employees and visitors and covers subjects including student rights and responsibilities, progressive discipline, bullying and cyberbullying, electronic devices, student searches, dress, transportation, extracurricular activities and disciplinary due process.
The document also incorporates School Safety and Educational Climate reporting categories and sets procedures for students with IEPs or Section 504 plans. The prior version listed in the packet was readopted on August 19, 2025; the 2026-27 document remains marked as a draft awaiting an adoption date.
Target Tax Certiorari Settlement
The Board is scheduled to consider a proposed settlement involving Target #1475 in the Town of Clay and a challenge to the property's assessment.
The proposed terms call for no reduction in the 2025-26 assessment and a waiver of school tax refunds for that year, followed by a reduction of the 2026-27 assessment to $287,300. The packet states that the Town of Clay supports the proposed settlement.
Curriculum and Student Programs
Circe Proposed for Grade 9 Honors English
The Board is scheduled to discuss a proposal to add Madeline Miller's Circe to the Grade 9 Honors English curriculum. The proposal describes the novel as a contemporary retelling of Greek mythology that can be studied alongside The Odyssey and used for literary analysis involving characterization, symbolism, narrative perspective and theme.
The teacher submitting the proposal reports piloting a PDF version with ninth-grade honors classes during 2025-26 and describes student response as overwhelmingly positive. The proposal recommends the book specifically for honors-level students because of its mature themes, advanced vocabulary and opportunities for deeper literary analysis.
Student Trips
The agenda includes discussion and potential action on an NCA Cheer Camp trip to Lake Bryn Mawr in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. A separate action item concerns a Boys Varsity Volleyball trip to Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Personnel and Operations
The consent agenda includes personnel actions along with Committee on Preschool Special Education and Committee on Special Education recommendations. The personnel packet contains resignations and appointments across administrative, teaching, civil-service, coaching, extracurricular and substitute positions.
Among the separately scheduled action items is creation of a Purchasing Contract Clerk position. The supplied job description describes technical clerical work supporting contracts, specifications, bidding procedures, records and purchasing staff.
The Board is also scheduled to discuss a Business Office restructure, proposed Food Service personnel changes, and a proposed memorandum of agreement between the district and SEIU. The action agenda later includes the proposed SEIU memorandum concerning a grievance and associated settlement agreements.
2027-28 Budget Planning
The Board is scheduled to discuss a draft 2027-2028 Budget Development Calendar. Under the draft, the calendar would return on August 25, 2026 for proposed Board adoption during a budget workshop that would also review 2025-26 budget performance.
The schedule lays out budget development through the spring, including presentation of a draft budget on February 8, 2027, presentation of a final balanced budget on March 1, proposed budget adoption on March 22, a May 6 budget public hearing, and a May 18, 2027 budget vote.
Community Participation and Routine Business
The meeting includes a Public Communications period. District materials state that public comment is generally limited to 15 minutes total and three minutes per speaker, unless the Board extends the time.
Routine consent items include approval of the July 21, 2026 Regular Meeting minutes, personnel actions, special-education recommendations, gifts and grants, and other routine business. Donation materials include $825 from The Liverpool Foundation for Education to reimburse costs associated with chicken hatchlings, storage and feed at Soule Road, as well as 65 "Every Day Counts" stickers donated by Paratore Signs for Liverpool High School's attendance incentive program.
What to Watch at the Meeting
- Whether the Board establishes the proposed 2026-27 tax rates and authorizes the tax warrants and collection process.
- How the Board responds to the capital-project update, particularly the high school cafeteria A/V system and available Phase C project funds.
- Whether the cafeteria redesign contract is awarded to Tacey LLC for up to $275,000 and the trash/recycling contract to Syracuse Hauler Waste Removal, Inc. for up to $136,675.62.
- Discussion of remaining Smart Schools Bond Act funds and the scope and cost of possible districtwide security upgrades.
- Consideration of the 2026-27 Emergency Response Plan and Code of Conduct.
- Discussion of the proposed Circe addition to Grade 9 Honors English and the draft 2027-28 budget calendar.
- Action on insurance renewals, the Target tax settlement, the $2.757 million budget transfer, personnel matters and the proposed SEIU agreement.
- The next announced meeting is a Budget Workshop at 5:30 p.m. followed by a Board of Education meeting at 6:00 p.m. on August 25, 2026. Another Board meeting is announced for September 14, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
The official public-body source for these meeting materials is the Liverpool Central School District's BoardDocs meeting packet.
Civic Translator summarized publicly available meeting materials.
