The Fredonia Central School District has approved tuition increases for the 2026-27 school year for non-resident students. Just like a year ago, the increase is the same percentage as the budget increase from year-to-year.

This upcoming school year, the tuition rates will rise by 3.61%, in line with a 3.61% budget increase from 2025-26 to 2026-27. The new tuition amount for non-resident students in grades K-6 will be $3,331, an increase of $116. Tuition for non-resident students in Grades seven to 12 in 2026-27 will be $4,776, an increase of $165.

In 2025-26, the tuition rate increased by 4.85% from the previous year, just as the budget did. Tuition for students in grades K-6 was $3,215 per student in 2025-26. Grades 7-12 tuition in 2025-26 was $4,611 per student.

In recent years, the district has changed its way of evaluating tuition rate increases. In some years, the tuition rates increased by the tax levy increase percentage, while in other years, the tuition increase matched the total budget increase percentage. Two years ago, the district “split the difference” between the two figures. Now, in back-to-back years, the district has settled on tuition rate increases equal to the total budget increase, which the district plans to keep in place moving forward.

The tuition increase is deemed necessary because of the budget increase, which saw rising costs to the district in various areas. One of the more notable hikes was the fuel cost increase to the district with gas prices soaring from this point a year ago.

The district awarded a bid to TPS to serve as the district’s gasoline/diesel fuel provider for the 2026-27 school year at a cost of $4.085 per gallon for gasoline and $4.515 per gallon for diesel fuel. The district’s agreement in 2025-26 was with NOCO Energy Corp., at a cost of $2.3575 for gasoline and $2.43 per gallon for diesel fuel.

The district also awarded a bid for trash removal for the 2026-27 school year to Casella for a total cost of $35,540, an increase of $380 from the same agreement in the 2025-26. Casella had the only official bid submitted to the district.

The district’s External Audit Report, including a corrective action plan, was accepted and reaffirmed by the Board at its recent meeting. The External Audit Report was presented to the Board on Dec. 9, 2025 by Laura Napoli, a Certified Public Accountant at Doeren Mayhew, formerly Bahgat & Laurito-Bahgat. There has been no change to the report since it was submitted and initially approved, but the district was urged by the State to pass a resolution accepting the report while specifically recognizing approval of a corrective action plan.

The district’s unassigned fund balance at the time of the audit was 2.32% of the succeeding year’s budget. Napoli urged the district to evaluate ways to increase its fund balances and advised the district to raise taxes to the tax cap, which the district did, and voters recently approved. The 2026-27 school budget includes $750,000 of fund balance applied to the total budget amount.

Also at the recent meeting, an emergency transportation contract with WNY Bus Co. was approved for transportation between Falconer and Fredonia each day, in the amount of $346 per day. The district is eligible for transportation aid reimbursement on the cost.

The purchase of two Cardiac Science G5 automated external defibrillators (AEDs), plus supplies, received Board approval at a cost not to exceed $3,700. An agreement regarding data privacy with the RIC ONE Risk Operations Center was approved, as well.

Three members of the Fredonia Trap Team and their coaches were authorized to attend the national trap tournament in Mason, Michigan from July 8-13. A series of summer leagues and camps were also approved, including a summer volleyball league and a sand volleyball tournament.

The Fredonia Cross Country Team had two trips approved for next school year, including an overnight retreat at Lake Erie State Park in Portland the week of Aug. 24, as well as a trip to Queensbury High School from Sept. 24-26.