Residents of their respective school districts throughout the county voted on proposed budgets for the 2022-2023 school year on Tuesday this week. They also voted on important ballot propositions and for Board of Education members.

These are the results:

Eldred

The total budget of $18,987,402.00 for Eldred Central School District was passed with a vote of 214 yes to 49 no.

In addition to the budget, two propositions were also passed.

In a vote of 219 in favor and 44 opposed, the levy tax of $31,600 was approved to pay to the Board of Trustees and the Sunshine Hall Free Library.

In a vote of 222 to 41, voters approved a proposition to enter into a lease agreement to acquire 12 sixty-six passenger school buses, and three  twenty passenger school buses equipped with wheel chair access in which terms of the lease shall be five years at a total cost not to exceed $1,500,000.00.

With 218 votes, incumbent Kristen Smith was reelected to a five-year term to the Board of Education, beginning on July 1.

Fallsburg

The 2022-2023 Budget of $52,506,954.00 was passed with a vote of 146 to 66.

Fiorella Muscia was reelected to her seat on the School Board, as well as Regina McKenney-Snead, who won the vacated seat of Debra Barbiani. Arlene Hussey won her seat also. Colleen Picciotti was the successful write-in candidate for the vacated seat of Kathy Rappaport.

“Thank you to our School Community for coming out to vote and congratulations to all of our winners and to our school district,” said Superintendent Dr. Ivan Katz.

Liberty

Voters in the Liberty Central School District voters approved the $57,543,257 budget for the 2022-23 school year by a vote of 231 to 64.

District voters also approved a proposition to enter into a five-year contract with Rolling V Transportation Corporation for student transportation services beginning July 1. This proposition passed by a vote of  243 to 49.

The district says that this budget funds all current programs and services for students and includes additional positions to manage class sizes, meet student needs and expand learning opportunities. This includes additional middle and high school teaching staff, extra support for English as a New Language services, social-emotional student support, and additional extracurricular stipends to expand student opportunities and activities.

“We appreciate the continued support of the voters in providing a quality education for our children,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said. “We are especially proud to be able to do this without an additional tax burden on our residents.”

Elected to the School Board were Matthew DeWitt with 230 votes, Timothy Hamblin with 193 votes and John Nichols with 178. Incumbent BOE member Philip Olsen earned 163 votes to lose a close race. 

Livingston Manor

Voters in the Livingston Manor Central School District approved the budget of $18,791,973 for the 2022-23 school year by a vote of 227 to 68.

The district says that this budget preserves all current programs for students, and includes $100,000 to continue annual interior and exterior improvement projects throughout the school.

“I appreciate the Livingston Manor community for continuing to support our district’s plan for our children’s education,” Superintendent John Evans said.

There was one vacancy on the Livingston Manor Board of Education. James Buck was elected with 218 votes. Gordon LeRoy received 67 votes. Three write-in votes were also recorded.

Monticello

On Tuesday, May 17, Monticello Central School District (MCSD) voters approved the district’s $94.5 million 2022-23 school budget by a vote of 811 to 446.

The $94,460,575 budget has zero increase on the tax levy, and is an overall spending increase of 3.5 percent. The budget preserves all existing positions and programs, restores pre-pandemic extracurricular experiences and activities, adds and enhances staff professional development opportunities and addresses pandemic-related learning lost – at no impact to the tax levy.

“We sought to create a budget that balances our responsibility to provide each learner with empowering educational experiences with our responsibility to the taxpayer to exercise fiscal prudence,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matthew Evans said. “I am grateful to our taxpayers for their support and partnership.”

For the three open school board seats, Ashley Rielly beat out incumbent Stacey Sharoff with 637 votes to 622. Incumbent Jennifer Holmes earned 534 votes to fend off challengers Mary Beth Bastone (518 votes) and Jimmy B. Crawley (223 votes).

Finally, Victoria LaRusso beat out incumbent Lori Orestano-James with 711 votes to 564 votes, respectively.

School Board terms are three years, beginning July 1.

“It has been my privilege to serve the students and community of the Monticello Central School District for 33 years. To all those who have always and truthfully supported me in the work I have done, I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” said former School Board of Education President Lori Orestano-James.

“I would like to thank everyone for their support. I am honored to be elected to the Monticello School Board,” said newly-elected Victoria LaRusso. “This is a rebirth of our district but it cannot be done by one person. This involves a team effort by everyone ... teachers, administrators, staff, parents, community members and most of all our children.”

Roscoe

Residents within the Roscoe Central School District voted to approve a $10,251,869 budget for the 2022-23 school year, by a vote of 83 to 17.

The district says the budget includes a tax levy decrease while maintaining all current programs and services and accounting for the rising costs associated with day-to-day school operations.  The budget also included a $100,000 capital outlay project for the continued annual abatement and replacement of floor tiles in the primary wing of the building, of which state aid will reimburse 51.9 percent of the project cost next year.

“We are appreciative of the support of the voters in the Roscoe Central School District,” Superintendent John Evans said. “Their support allows us to give our students a well-rounded education.”

Gary Dahlman, running unopposed, was re-elected to Roscoe’s Board of Education with 93 votes. One write-in vote was also recorded.

Sullivan West

According to preliminary numbers posted to the Sullivan West Central School District’s website, voters approved their $40,893,029 budget for the 2022-2023 school year by a vote of 624 in favor and 159 opposed.

Voters also approved a ballot proposition to create a capital reserve fund by a vote of 624 in favor and 149 opposed.

Voters had the choice to elect three candidates to the Sullivan West School District’s Board of Education. Rose Joyce-Turner led the pack with 526 votes, followed by Michael Ellmauer with 500 and Jackie Rutledge with 466. Candidates Kristen Johnston and Craig Passante received 264 and 252 votes, respectively.

Tri-Valley

On Tuesday, May 17, Tri-Valley Central School District voters approved the $35,839,371 budget for the 2022-23 school year, with an increase in spending by $668,108 (1.90 percent) from the current year and a 0.80% tax levy increase by a vote of 569 yes to 259 no.

The authorization to establish a capital reserve fund to be funded over the next ten years was approved with 569 votes yes and 258 votes no.

The three elected to the Tri-Valley Board of Education were George A. Dean with 381 votes, Travis Hartman with 415 votes, and Tim Dymond with 560 votes. Their terms will begin on July 1 and are set to expire on June 30, 2025.

The spending plan continues all current student programs, services and student supports. Budget additions for next year include implementing RULER and continuing to focus on students’ social-emotional needs and recovering learning loss.

Spending increases are attributed to increased costs in employee benefits due to inflation and contractual raises and rising costs of goods and services across all areas of operations.

To learn more about the 2022-23 school budget, visit www.trivalleycsd.org.