Local school districts will hold school budget votes via absentee ballot on Tuesday, June 9.
Each district must receive the completed absentee ballots by 5 p.m. that day. If residents have not received their absentee ballots by Friday, June 5, contact your respective district clerk for assistance.
Bethlehem
Bethlehem Central School District residents will consider a $103.5 million 2020-2021 school budget, an increase of $2.7 million from 2019-2020’s $100.8 million figure.
The proposed budget would increase spending by 2.64 percent and carry a tax levy increase of 2.34 percent, which equals the district’s tax cap. The tax rate would be increased by 1.1 percent for Bethlehem homeowners and 2.2 percent for New Scotland homeowners. The budget includes $3 million in fund balance that would be used to offset expected mid-year state aid reductions because of COVID-19.
Residents will also vote on a proposition to purchase up to six large buses and seven small buses at a maximum cost of $1.2 million. These buses will replace aging buses. The older larger buses are 13 years old with 73,000 miles each on average; the older smaller buses are 10 years old with 100,000 miles each on average.
The district’s website indicated that if voters approve the purchase, “the state would reimburse the district over a five-year period for about 62 percent of the cost of the new vehicles. The estimated local cost would be $459,800.”
There are three open Board of Education seats which are each three-year terms. The seven candidates are Christine Beck, Holly Dellenbaugh, Tricia Hertz, Kelly A. Magnuson, Meredith Moriarty, John F. Queenan and Ryan Richman.
For more information, visit www.bethlehemschools.org/proposed-2020-21-budget-maintains-programs-in-a-time-of-uncertainty.
Guilderland
Guilderland Central School District residents will consider a $103 million budget for the 2020-21 school year, an increase of $925,320 or 0.9 percent from last year’s $102.1 figure.
The proposed budget would carry a tax levy increase of $1.7 million or 2.25 percent. Tax rates are estimated to increase by 2.25 percent.
Residents will also vote on a proposition of $983,300 to purchase 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.For more information, visit www.guilderlandschools.org/budget-taxes/#PropBudget-2020-21 and www.guilderlandschools.org/2020-21-boe-candidates.
Voorheesville
Voorheesville Central School District residents will consider a $26 million 2020-21 school budget, an increase of 2.4 percent of $616,883 from last year’s $25.4 million figure.
The proposed budget will carry a tax levy increase of 3 percent or $570,907. Residents will also vote on a proposition to lease one 65-passenger school bus and two 28-passenger buses for a cost of $236,000. This proposition’s funding will originate from state aid at approximately 60 percent of costs.
Voters will also elect four members onto the Board of Education; two seats are four-year terms and one is to fill out the remaining two years of a term that was temporarily filled in December 2019 after it was vacated. The candidates are Tim Kremer, Argi O’Leary, Tricia Putman, and Bryan Richmond.
For more information, visit www.voorheesville.org/domain/44.
RCS
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District residents will consider a $48.7 million 2020-21 school budget, an increase of 1.3 percent of $615,345 from last year’s $48.1 million figure.
According to the district’s school budget presentation, there will not be a tax levy increase and if assessments and equalization rates remain the same, the tax bill will remain unchanged from the 2019-20 school year. The final assessment information will be available in July or August.
In the 2019-20 school year, estimated school tax rates per $1,000 of assessed value are: $20.58 (Bethlehem), $20.58 (Coeymans), $21.25 (New Scotland) and $28.33 (New Baltimore).
Residents will also vote on a bus proposition costing $646,838. The district seeks to purchase three 65-passenger buses at a maximum cost of $367,569; a 36-passenger wheelchair bus at a maximum cost of $112,019; three seven-passenger Dodge caravans at a maximum cost of $67,249; one Chevrolet Suburban costing $45,000; and one maintenance utility truck costing $55,000.
Three candidates — Tina Furst-Hotaling, William McFerran and Peter Ross — are running to fill one of three RCS Board of Education seats.
For more information, visit www.rcscsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Proposed-Budget-6-9-2020.pdf and www.rcscsd.org/rcs-budget-development-2020-21.
