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As a part of the city's $49.8 million budget for 2025-26, which was approved at Auburn City Council's meeting, the city will pay for half the normal cost of the crossing guard program. It costs $200,000, and the city has budgeted $100,000 for it this year. It normally pays for 13 crossing guards.

Mayor Jimmy Giannettino told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV on Tuesday the city hopes the district will cover the other half of the program — and eventually all of it.

Giannettino said the city has paid for the full program for years, but wants to meet with the district "as soon as possible" about the change.

"We're working on getting that set up," he said. "You're running into the Fourth of July holiday. There's going to be a new school board president, so we're just kind of waiting for all that to happen."

The mayor said the city also used to pay for the district's school resource officers, but because the service is necessary for the district, the two worked together years ago to pass on that cost. He noted that some New York school districts pay for their crossing guards, and that the Auburn district received an increase in aid from the state this year while the city's state funding remained flat.

"Taxpayers in the city can only absorb so much," he said.

The mayor noted that the Auburn district's tax base also includes residents of Aurelius, Fleming, Owasco and Sennett.

"That cost should be spread out amongst all the school district taxpayers, not just city of Auburn taxpayers," Giannettino said.

The school district's superintendent, Dr. Misty Slavic, told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV in a June 26 email that the city has reached out about the district taking on the cost of the crossing guard program. But the district's legal counsel said it is not authorized to fund the current crossing guard positions under the state's general municipal law, she said.

´¡Ìý of the law concerning crossing guards says a school board can enter into an agreement with a municipality in which the district pays for all or a portion of the guards' salaries. But, as Slavic pointed out, a board only has the authority to enter into that agreement when it results in an increase to the number of guards.

Slavic said this means the district can't enter into an agreement with the city. Its corporation counsel, Nate Garland, disagrees with that interpretation, Giannettino said. 

"I'm committed to working to a mutually agreed-upon resolution and I'm sure they are, too," the mayor said.

Slavic said the district is committed to complying with all applicable state and federal laws and "will also continue to explore ways to support the city within the limits of our legal and financial capacity."

"The district values its partnership with the city," she said.

"We remain committed to working together, especially in light of ongoing reductions in state funding, which continue to challenge our ability to meet rising expectations and costs."