GUILDERLAND — Ballots are in and residents are now waiting for the results of their school district’s budget vote.
As surrounding school districts reported the results of their respective budgets and school board elections, Guilderland has opted to broadcast the ballot counting process. The district has established a livestream YouTube channel that shows ballot counters socially distanced inside a gymnasium.
The district started hand counting the ballots this morning, June 17, at 8 a.m. The tedious process was necessary as the Albany County Board of Elections was unable to provide the district with voting machines to scan ballots, the district said. Counting will continue between the hours of 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. every day until all ballots have been counted.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy4flLDIK-s” width=”560″ height=”315″]
Guilderland Central School District residents were asked to consider a $103 million budget for the 2020-21 school year, an increase of $925,320 or 0.9 percent from the current year’s figure. The proposed budget carried a tax levy increase of $1.7 million or 2.25 percent.
Residents also voted on a bus purchase proposition to allow the district to spend $983,300 on four 66-passenger buses, three 66-passenger buses with chains, and one 60-passenger bus with wheelchair stations and air conditioning. About 50 percent of the bus purchase will be returned to the district as state aid, according to the district’s website.
The Board of Education has five vacancies, three are three-year terms and two and one-year terms. The candidates are Luciano Alonzi, Rebecca Butterfield, Benjamin Goes, Blanca Gonzalez-Parker and Judy Slack.
