# Carmel Central School District Board of Education Meeting October 13, 2026


**Body:** CarmelCSD Board of Education
**Date:** October 12, 2026
**Jurisdiction:** SLED

**Tags:** Education, Information Technology, Digital Infrastructure


At the Carmel Central School District Board of Education meeting on October 13, 2026, trustees discussed several spending and procurement matters. The board approved a memorandum of agreement settling a bus-driver grievance; a public commenter cited a $12-per-day payment as part of the settlement discussion. Trustees also reviewed a possible switch to Unite GPS for school-bus routing and real-time tracking. The proposed service would cost $21,000 annually, including installation and removal of existing equipment, compared with current costs for Traversa ($10,000 per year, plus a $30,000 initial fee) and Zonar ($5,000 per year). The option was discussed but not approved; staff described further due diligence and a potential transition after the current contracts expire. Trustees also discussed legal spending—Carmel spent about $360,000 in 2024–25, compared with figures cited for Brewster ($176,030) and Yorktown ($78,000)—and proposed seeking reductions and considering a future spending cap. A public commenter noted about $38,000 in unused field-trip funds, which administration said return to fund balance or may be used to adjust other budget lines.

The superintendent reported a 0.10% tax-levy decrease in the 2026–27 budget. Trustees debated a zero-based budgeting approach and a 0% levy increase for 2027–28, but took no budget vote. The board approved the consent agenda and other listed actions, including special-education placements, personnel items, and creation of up to three elementary-school Best Buddies positions under an agreement with the teachers’ association. Donations of books and soil for a school sensory garden were also recognized. A proposed Columbus Day and Italian-American heritage resolution passed after extended discussion; a motion to postpone it failed. The board also received a first reading of a student data-privacy and security policy, with an approval vote deferred to a future meeting.

**Source:** CarmelCSD Board of Education