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Annual School Budget Vote & Board of Education
Elections
Thank you Niskayuna
Central School District voters; 2010-11 school
budget passes!
 Residents
also approve bus proposition
Voters in the Niskayuna Central School District
approved the district's proposed 2010-11 budget
on Tuesday, May 18. The final tally was 1,908
yes votes to 1,235 no votes. Results were
announced shortly after polls at the high school
closed at 9 p.m.
The $76.45 million budget for next year is
expected to increase the tax levy by an
estimated 2.4 percent for residents of the
district.
“The Board of Education, administration and
staff greatly appreciate the support of our
school community,” said Superintendent of
Schools Kevin Baughman. “During difficult
economic times, it is critical that we strike a
careful balance between the educational needs of
our students and the ability of our community to
continue to support education.”
Voters also approved a bus proposition to
purchase 11 buses. That vote total was 1,887 yes
votes to 1,240 no votes.
In the Board of Education race, all three
incumbents who ran unopposed were re-elected to
three-year terms, beginning July 1. Board
candidate vote tallies were as follows:
- David
Hudson — 2,467
- Jeanne
Sosnow — 2,431
- Debra
Gordon — 2,412
 Residents of Niskayuna Central School District
will vote on the 2010-11 school budget on
Tuesday, May 18. Polls will be open
from 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. at Niskayuna High School.
Please
note: The
annual school budget vote will take place in the
band/orchestra room adjacent to the new West
Entrance to the high school.
Details about next year's proposed school budget
are posted below, or download a copy of the
2010-11 budget edition of
Your Schools. (pdf)
Proposed 2010-11 Budget Information Sheet
(PDF)
2010 Board of Education meeting schedule
Latest budget headlines
Board of
Education petitions
 General
Voting Information
On the third Tuesday of each May,
residents from across New York State go to the
polls to vote on the annual school district
budget and to elect members of the Board of
Education. We encourage all district residents
to exercise their right to vote.
In early May, Niskayuna residents can expect to
receive in the mail a copy of the district’s
Your Schools newsletter that provides details
about the budget that residents will vote on. If
you do not receive a copy of the newsletter
please contact the District Office at 377-4666,
ext. 50707 to request that one be mailed to you.
More information will also be posted on the Web
site, as it becomes available.
Voter
Eligibility
You are eligible to vote if your are a United
States citizen, 18 years or older, and a
resident of the Niskayuna Central School
District for at least 30 days prior to the
annual vote date.
Where
and when to vote
Residents may cast their votes at Niskayuna High
School from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18,
2010. The high school is the only polling site
in the district.
Reserved parking spaces will be available
opposite the pool entrance for voters. Short
term parking will also be available in the
student parking lot to the right of the campus
access road from the Balltown Road entrance.
Absentee
ballots
Applications for absentee ballots are available
at the district office and will be issued upon
request to residents who are unable to vote in
person for reasons of illness or disability or
will be out of town on the date of the vote.
Applications may be requested by May
11 if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter.
Applications requested in person will be
provided through 4 p.m. on May 17. All completed
ballots must be returned to the District Office
by 4 p.m. on May 18.
2010 School budget headlines
 2010-11
Recommended Budget Overview (pdf)
2010
Recommended Budget Staff Reductions
(pdf)
View
a prioritized list of the potential reductions
being discussed as of March 15.
(pdf)
Residents to vote May 18
Residents
to vote on proposed school budget, bus purchase
proposition, and elect three candidates to the
Board of Education
(Posted: May 5, 2010)
On Tuesday, May 18, school district residents
will vote on a proposed $76,453,731 budget for
the 2010-11 school year.
The spending increase from the current budget to
next year's budget is 2.64 percent. The proposed
budget would increase the tax levy an estimated
2.4 percent.
Polling hours are from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. on May 18
at Niskayuna High School. Complete budget
information, details of the bus purchase
proposition and Board of Education candidate
profiles, are available in the 2010-11 budget
edition of
Your Schools. (pdf)
Residents
to use new optical scan voting machines
during
May 18 school budget
vote
(Posted: April 30, 2010)
The
Schenectady County Board of Elections is
introducing new voting machines throughout the
county in compliance with the federal Help
America Vote Act. Niskayuna residents first had
an opportunity to use the new technology during
the Fire District 1 referendum in March.
The digital voting machines will also be used in
the upcoming school budget vote and board of
education election on Tuesday, May 18.
More information
Niskayuna Board of Education adopts 2010-11
proposed budget
(Posted: April 1, 2010)
After review
and discussion of revenues, expenditures and
potential reductions at meetings and work
sessions during the past several months, the
Niskayuna Board of Education adopted a
recommended $76.45 million budget for the
2010-11 school year. District residents will
vote on the proposed plan on Tuesday, May 18.
The proposed budget calls for an increase in
spending of 2.64 percent and would yield a
projected tax levy increase of 2.4 percent.
During its March 31 meeting, the Board finalized
nearly $2.4 million in cuts across all areas of
the budget to help close a multi-million dollar
deficit caused, in large part, by a significant
reduction in state aid proposed by the governor
in his Executive Budget.
Read more
Superintendent's
message to
the community
(Posted: March 19, 2010)
On March 15, a recommended 2010-11 budget was
presented to the Board of Education. The budget
proposal totals $76,453,731, which calls for a
2.64 percent increase in spending from the
current 2009-10 school year, and an estimated
tax levy increase of 2.4 percent. For more
detailed information on the recommended budget,
including an
overview and list of
reductions, please visit the School Budget
Information section of the district's Web site
by clicking on the icon in the right corner of
this page.
It is now up to the Board of Education to weigh
these recommendations and craft a proposed
2010-11 budget for residents to consider when
they vote on May 18.
View the entire message
Update:
Developing the 2010-11 school budget
Board of Education reviews potential reductions
to close budget gap created by loss of state aid
and rising costs
(Posted: March 12, 2010)
During the March 8 meeting, Board of Education
members closely reviewed two lists of tiered
reductions designed to close a budget gap
largely created by the $2.1 million loss—a
nearly 14 percent decrease—in state aid proposed
in Governor Paterson’s Executive budget. The
reduced state aid alone—prior to any reductions
in spending by the district—could result in a
tax levy increase of 4.52 percent.
“We are mindful that the weak economy continues
to impact our families and taxpayers and
recognize that reductions in spending are
necessary to present a budget that demonstrates
fiscal responsibility to our community,”
Superintendent of Schools Kevin Baughman says.
“At the same time, our mission is to provide a
world-class education for students, which will
require our best collective efforts as we
address the revenue shortfall now and in coming
years.”
Full story
2010-11
school budget preparations underway
District officials confront possible $2.1 loss in
aid under state proposal
Article featured in forthcoming edition of Your Schools
(Winter 2010)
Governor's plan
reduces state budget by decreasing school
funding by more than $1 billion
Niskayuna school officials begin developing
budget with potential $2.1 million loss in aid
(District
Press Release from January 2010)
During its January 25 meeting, district
officials and the Niskayuna Board of Education
reviewed the potential impact of Governor
Paterson's proposed state budget on the school
district and its academic programs.
Full story
Governor
intends to pay school aid deferred in December
Niskayuna district
officials await word on whether the 19 percent
lag in January STAR payments due schools will be
restored
(Posted January 2010)
Niskayuna Central School District and other
districts around the state have received word
that state aid payments held back by Governor
Paterson in December will be paid as
constitutionally required by law. (Times
Union article)
Last month, Paterson was widely criticized for
delaying 10 percent, or $750 million, in
payments to schools and local governments to
help combat the state's growing deficit. For
Niskayuna schools, the resulting loss of revenue
in December was approximately $68,000.
Full story
District prepares for
school budget development process amidst state’s
cash flow problem
STAR payment delay in
January expected to have significant financial
impact on Niskayuna schools
(Posted December 2009)
In an effort to alleviate the state’s cash flow
problems, New York State Governor David Paterson
enacted a 10 percent lag in state aid payments
scheduled for public schools in December. As a
result, Niskayuna Central School District
recorded a revenue loss of approximately $68,000
for the month.
Full story
Board
of Education petitions now available
Three
seats up for election in May
(Posted: March 15, 2010)
Three seats on Niskayuna’s Board of Education
will be on the ballot during the annual school
budget vote and school board elections on
Tuesday, May 18.
Niskayuna residents who are interested in
running for the Board of Education may pick up
nominating petitions in the district’s business
office at 1239 Van Antwerp Road, Monday through
Friday from 8 a.m.– 4 p.m., or may call
377-4666, ext. 50712 for more information.
Petitions must contain a minimum of 53 valid
signatures to be placed on this year's ballot,
which is two percent of the total number of
votes cast in the prior year. Candidates must
file their petition with the district clerk no
later than 4 p.m. on Monday, April 19.
Niskayuna Central School District’s Board of
Education is comprised of seven members who
serve three-year terms without pay. Members are
elected by district voters in May and begin
their tenure in July.
Learn more about running for a school board on
the
New York State School Boards Association Web
site.
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