The 2007-2008 Ballston Spa Central School District Budget and all attached propositions were passed by its residents Tuesday, May 20, with 1,325 votes cast in favor of the budget and 1,012 opposed.
The budget stands at $70,162,308, a 6.27 percent increase from last year. That presents an average 1.5 percent tax increase for residents of the district.
We appreciate the Ballston Spa community members for supporting the budget and the propositions, said Ballston Spa Central School District Superintendent Raymond Colucciello. `Our Board of Education will continue to focus on providing a world-class education for our 4,400 students.`
Colucciello said the budget will provide support for full-day kindergarten programming, and also provide a foundation for incoming Superintendent Joseph Dragone to guide the district’s academic programs.
The ballot contained four propositions for voters. The first was the spending of $896,000 to replace several of the district’s school buses. The proposition passed, 1,393 to 899.
Voters also approved the expenditure of $503,000, 1,388 to 909, to provide renovations and repairs to the district’s schools.
A third proposition authorizing the district to contribute $43,000 toward the expense of operating the public library passed, 1,580 to 699.
The last proposition on the ballot involved supporting the Ballston Spa Area Recreation Commission with $28,000. The money would help support Saturday school and summer programs, and voters approved it 1,555 to 748.
That’s money Ballston Spa resident Rebecca Grugen thinks would be well spent.
`I went to Saturday school as a kid,` said Grugen. She said programs occurring outside of school hours can be just as important as standard school programming.
Three candidates were vying for two seats on the school board. Incumbents Jeanne Obermayer and Frank Townley were both seeking another three years on the board, and newcomer Shawn Raymond also threw his hat into the ring.
Both incumbents will be returning. Obermayer garnered 1,370 votes, while the gap between Townley and Raymond was tight, with 1,061 and 1,043 votes cast, respectively.
Ballston resident Sally Helly cast her votes for the incumbent candidates, stating she felt like the board has been doing a good job.
Louis Gnip of Milton said he voted for the school budget, but would like to see some large changes in how New York handles its school funding.
`I understand schools need budgets,` said Gnip. `It’s important that these kids get an education but the system is bad.`
Gnip said he would like to see the state put standards in place and provide funding instead of leaving budgets up to individual districts. He likened it to the smoking ban ` unpopular at first, but, in the end, schools and taxpayers would be better off.
`All these Band-Aid approaches are ill conceived ways to minimize impact,` he said.
Those over 18 weren’t the only ones casting their votes at the Ballston Spa High School Library.
The school also set up a `kid vote` program on the library’s computers, with questions tailored for primary, intermediate, middle, and high school students (primary center students decided what tie the Principal Joseph Lopez would wear the next day ` he was sporting a soccer tie on Wednesday). It’s all about getting kids used to the idea of voting, said Ballston Spa’s Community Resources Coordinator Stuart Williams.
`The main objective is to teach the students throughout the district about the whole voting and election process,` said Williams.
About 580 students participated in the vote, including many high school seniors.
`Hopefully they’ll register to vote and continue to vote in elections,` said Williams.“