The budget is the quiet machine behind everything from algebra classes to an after-school chess club. Each year, Baruch College Campus High School (BCCHS) receives about $5 million from the DOE to serve ~480 students. That’s a lot of zeros—and a lot of decisions. The money keeps the school running: from teacher salaries to special education services, they all rely on it.
How is BCCHS’s budget distributed?
“The first major decision that sets the tone for the budget is ensuring we can continue with staffing,” Principal Alicia Perez-Katz said.
More than 80% of the school’s funding is apportioned out to teachers, aides, and special education staff. That includes everyone from English teachers to school aides. Simply put, without staffing, nothing else can function. Fortunately for BCCHS, high enrollment and steady demand help keep that foundation solid.
After salaries come the school essentials: classroom supplies, computer software, textbooks, clubs and after-school programs. Some allocations are tightly restricted, such as funding for students in temporary housing or English language learners. Other funds, like the city’s tax levy money, are more flexible, letting administrators decide whether to purchase new supplies, expand student programs, or strengthen partnerships.
Assistant Principal Douglas Keijzer, who oversees special education, described the careful balancing act behind maintaining teachers and programs.
“It’s a numbers game. We just carefully allocate students to sections and resources, so programs aren’t disrupted,” he said.
Funding for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) determines how many special education teachers the school can hire. Some students require assistive devices or modified classroom technology, which must be approved at the district or city level. Staffing needs depend on the number of IEP students; the more students enrolled, the more teachers are required, which can have an academic as well as logistical impact.
“Sometimes students need a particular device,” Keijzer said. “When that is the case, it’s usually separate money coming in, so we don’t have to pull from our own budget.”
It’s one of the few instances where outside funding swoops in like a helpful guest star rather than another item BCCHS must pay for.
And some expenses are surprisingly mundane yet unavoidable. For example, the school’s copier lease costs around $9,000 a year. There’s even a small fund dedicated to the teachers’ coffee machine. While these are hardly glamorous investments, they show that every dollar has a purpose, whether it’s keeping classrooms running smoothly or keeping the adults caffeinated enough to run them.
How is enrollment and the budget related?
Enrollment, in fact, is the linchpin of the entire budget. Each student represents a per-pupil allocation from the city and state. For 2024–25, BCCHS was funded for about 488 students. Falling short of that number—even by a handful—can mean losing tens of thousands of dollars. Administrators must predict not only how many students will arrive, but what support they’ll need.
“We receive the incoming ninth grade students’ transcripts in July, and then we spend our whole summer planning,” Keijzer said.
Class sizes and section counts change yearly, requiring constant adjustment to ensure resources are used efficiently. This affects everything from core courses like algebra and geometry to specialized support classes.
What are some other aspects of the budget?
To manage the uncertainty that comes with running a public school, BCCHS maintains a register gain/loss reserve: a financial cushion used when unexpected costs appear or enrollment shifts.
“Schools are supposed to support students with the greatest needs, but as soon as students are succeeding, schools lose money. It’s a structural problem.”Perez said.
The reserve keeps programs stable, allowing the school to maintain services even when city formulas fluctuate.
Discretionary spending is the flexible corner of the budget and helps the school respond to teacher requests and student needs throughout the year. After-school homework help, clubs, and academic enrichment often rely on this category.
“Sometimes we have to trim one budget bucket to fund another, like taking from supplies to pay for after-school support, but we can usually make up the difference with donations,” Perez said.
The BCCHS budget isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet, but the blueprint for how teaching, learning, and daily life unfold at the school. From per-pupil funding to discretionary choices, from staffing priorities to technology needs, the $5 million that flows into the building each year is carefully orchestrated to support students and teachers alike. Every decision shapes the school that students walk into each morning.
