The Mount Vernon City School District has voted to adopt the 2025-2026 budget. There will be public hearing on the budget on May 6. Residents will vote on it on May 20.

"We see this as a path forward," says Acting Superintendent of Schools Dr. K. Veronica Smith. "We're in significant distress, fiscal distress."

The budget was adopted at Tuesday's Board of Education meeting.

But, a proposed 3.3% property tax levy increase in the budget is sparking concerns among residents.

"Groceries are very high, inflation, so this 3.3% tax increase could be very damaging to our community," says Erica Peterson, a parent.

District administrators say that now a tax increase is necessary.

"We would use our reserves and over the course of the last six years, we used to have $32 million plus in reserves. We now, by the end of this year, are looking at almost having none," says Assistant Superintendent for Business Jose Formoso.

Administrators say the tax levy increase would be used for outstanding union contracts, preserving athletics, pre-K, after-school programing and performing and visual arts.

"The impact to an average home in Mount Vernon would be roughly $289.74 a year," says Formoso.

Some say a tax increase worries them.

"Elderly homeowners here who don't have children in our school district so now to be hit with a 3.3% tax increase that is detrimental to their financial life," says Peterson.

Some also say that this could have been done earlier.

"Since 2022, when the board president and others voted down a 0.5% tax increase, that was very modest, so where were their thoughts in reference to support the children then?" says Brenda Crump, a Mount Vernon resident.

"I feel like this is something that could have been avoided if we did modest and responsible increases earlier," says Peterson.