NEW BERLIN – The Unadilla Valley Board of Education will meet tomorrow night to discuss options following the failure of the 2012-13 budget to pass by a 60 percent margin.
According to Superintendent Robert Mackey, the board will discuss whether they will present the same budget or a new budget to be voted on June 19. Another option, he said, would be for the board to make a motion to adopt a contingency budget immediately.
“We’ve talked all along about a contingency budget ... which would eliminate all optional programs such as sports and clubs,” said Mackey. “We’ve asked the voters if they don’t want those things, to let us know.”
Mackey said another option would be to appropriate more reserves, which would cover the cost of optional programs and keep the school from being “educationally bankrupt.” But he warned that doing so would “get us closer to the point where we don’t have reserves to pull from.”
“How I’m approaching it now is I’m trying to find any way I can to present options to reduce spending that won’t further lay off staff or hurt kids,” he said, regarding options to keep sports and clubs available for students. “But we’re reaching a limit of how much more I can do without hurting kids directly.”
Mackey said exit polls in Tuesday’s vote revealed startling conclusions. Of the 72 people who voted no and filled out exit polls, 41 wrote they wanted to see the board focus more on programs that would increase spending, such as electives and half-day programs for 2-3 year olds.
“It makes you wonder if they were just misinformed or what happened,” he said.
“I’ve invited the Governor to come and explain why their budget can pass at the expense of our students’ sports and clubs ... he needs to put his money where his mouth is and be the advocate for students that he says he is,” said Mackey. “He doesn’t understand what rural, poor schools are going through and he won’t until he lives and see it.”
Tammie Emrich of Columbus and Jason Gray of New Berlin were elected to the two empty board seats, with 289 and 276 votes respectively.

AFTON

The Afton Central School District Budget of $15,181,775 passed with a vote of 171 to 114 Tuesday. Also passed was a proposition for the purchase of two new school buses in the amount of $211,197, with a vote of 166 to 116; and incumbent Margery Secrest was re-elected to serve another term on the Afton School Board.

BAINBRIDGE-GUILFORD

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School District voted to pass their budget 393-148. The proposition to acquire an additional school bus also passed 366-148. Charlie Blincoe and Jason Fleming of Guilford, and Brenda Parsons of Bainbridge, were elected to the empty board seats.

GREENE

The proposed Greene School budget of $23,676,294 passed yesterday, by a vote of 330 to 77. Additionally, residents voted in favor of the library proposition, 278 to 147; and two incumbents, Richard Boeltz and James Strenkert, each who ran unopposed for a seat on the school board, were re-elected to serve another term.

NORWICH

Norwich voters approved the district’s proposed $37,781,355 budget by a vote of 559 to 163 yesterday, in addition to the 2012-2013 Guernsey Memorial Library budget of $1,029,875, with 533 voting for and 160 voting against.
Three vacant seats on the district’s board of education were secured by the three incumbent candidates, Luke Murphy (584 votes), Joseph Stagliano (575 votes) and Perry Owen (477 votes). School board candidates Sadhna Corey and Dr. Bruce Braswell received 261 and 258 votes, respectively. Voting results for two available seats on Guernsey Memorial Library’s Board of Trustees were as follows: Donna Wood-Craig (400 votes), Frederick Gee (336 votes) and Jason Miller (200 votes).
A board-approved proposition for the purchase of four vehicles – two of which are handicap-accessible – was also approved by district voters by a margin of 454 to 218.

OTSELIC VALLEY

Otselic Valley voters approved the district’s proposed $9,108,621 budget by a vote of 157 to 70 yesterday. One available seat on the district’s board of education was secured by incumbent Donna Liuzzo, who received 151 votes. Candidate Rachel Peabody received 72 votes.
A board-approved school bus proposition also passed by a vote of 143 to 61.

OXFORD

Oxford Academy and Central School District also passed their annual budget with a vote of 232-75.
Both propositions were carried as well: the bus and vehicle proposition receiving 191-106 votes and the library budget, 229-56.
Timothy O’Brien and Dawn Golden were both elected for three year terms on the school board, and Tahitian Townsend a one year term.

SHERBURNE-EARLVILLE

It was the lowest turnout in three years, with only 387 ballots, but residents of the Sherburne-Earlville Central School District yesterday approved the proposed spending plan for the 2012/2013 school year.
Voters agreed to a $29.76 million budget. It represents an increase of 1.7 percent over the present school year’s and an average tax levy increase of 1.9 percent. Eleven jobs will be eliminated, including two teachers, two teacher assistants, six support staff and one faculty who is retiring.
The decrease in state aid amounted to more than $1.37 million. Set aside reserves would be tapped for $600,000, which is less than the million dollars it took last year to meet expenses.
The tally was 274 for the spending plan versus 113 against. The total compares to 503 voters who cast their ballots in 2011 and 448 who did so in 2010.
Thomas Caton of Earlville was elected to a third, three-year term on the school board with 253 votes. Caton, who did not run for relection in 2010, was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board in January and threw his hat into the race again. Candidate Chad Bohnert of Earlville received 121 votes. It was Bohnert’s second time running for a seat on the board.