Yes to Budgets in Five Districts

This story has been changed to correct number of failed budgets from four to five; clarifies that budgets that passed have average tax levy increase of 1.5 percent. Elected to the school board from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2020 were Linda Jurs, who garnered 986 votes; Dominick Montalto, 913 votes, and Carol Ann Dell’Erba, 920 votes.

In Moravia, voters approved the school district’s budget by a vote of 368-68. “But I actually feel a sense of appreciation for the support over the last nine years”.

In the Board of Education race for three seats, incumbents Rachelle Nardelli (904), Denise Kness (874) and Glen Malia (850) earned new three-year terms, defeating Michelle Browne (309) and Gnesia Feliu (174). “And we’ve continued to tweak some things”. “There is not enough funding for us to operate in a way that is good for kids”.

“This year, many school boards overcame rising costs in order to deliver budgets that stayed within the state’s property tax cap”, said NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer.

Preliminary projections in revenue and expenses for the 2017-18 school year will result in a budget deficit of $452,871. The tax levy, or the amount raised by property taxes, will increase 1.4 percent to $8,474,939.

Voters will also be asked to authorize the creation of a capital reserve fund, so the district can squirrel away $2 million in reserves by the time payments on the project’s debt come due.

Some on the board felt there was still work to be done.

“The administration’s done fantastic work to get it there”, he said. “I feel that we need to listen to what the people said during the campaign and what the other candidates said, their ideas, especially on transparency and communication”.

At the start of the legislative session, school officials offered few guesses about what next year’s budget would include as observers of the Legislature said it was hard to tell just how bad the budget cuts could be.

The Columbus Community School District’s School Improvement Advisory Committee, or SIAC, presented its district-wide goals and objectives to the Columbus School Board on May 10.

Also approved Tuesday was a proposition allowing the district to redistribute the balance of a previously approved capital reserve fund to install and maintain a geothermal heating and cooling system as part of a planned school addition. The school board seats went to Julie Gates and Eugene Rood and library trustees are Marian Godfrey and Christine Gregoire. A proposition of a $1.25 million capital project passed 425-75. He is now the Director of Elementary Education for the School District of Lancaster.

Albion voters elected Wayne Wadhams and Kathy Harling to five-year terms with 513 and 491 votes respectively.

The union said teachers accepted a pay freeze in 2011-12 and 2012-13 “in reliance on the district’s representation that it could not afford raises and to avoid furloughs”. “Putting this budget together was a fairly smooth process, but it was a long process”. But more importantly, it sends a message to voters that districts are either unwilling or unable to rein in spending.

“We never take that for granted”, he said.