Elwood Union Free School District:
Budget vote:
Yes–983 • No–830
Board of Education results:
One at-large seat
*Deborah Weiss –1,178 votes
• Vashmir Pascal-Turner – 496 votes
The Elwood school district proposed $79,395,286 budget failed to pass.
The proposed budget was up from last year’s $76,760,609 by 3.43%. The tax levy increased from $53,142,763 to $ 55,374,759. The 4.20% increase pierced the tax cap of 1.29%. A supermajority is required if the cap is surpassed, and since less than 60% of people voted yes, the district can either present the budget for a vote again or adopt a contingency budget, which only allows funds for essential funding. District Superintendent Gayle Steele, Assistant Superintendent for Business Lorraine Dunke, and the board of education have the option to revise the budget.
In their budget statement, the board wrote that the levy increase was necessary to “preserve the integrity of current programs and offerings.” If the district were to abide the levy restriction and cut $2,231,996, “reductions would include 15.2 full-time staffing positions; the elimination of elementary chorus, band and orchestra programs; reduction in security staff; the elimination of middle school athletics; a reduction in BOCES programs, including tuition for students to attend the Long Island High School for the Arts; reduction in Academic Intervention Services; reduction in field trip transportation expense; and further reduction of districtwide equipment, materials, and supplies.” The cuts to staff would include one administrative position, six teaching positions which would likely implicate the mental health staff and technology integration staff, three teaching assistant positions, three paraprofessional positions and one clerical position.
Tax payers would have to pay anywhere from $14 to $29 a month if the 4.20% tax cap were put into place. Additionally, the district proposed transferring funds from the reserves to the capital budget to fix the roof of James H. Boyd Intermediate School.
