Excluding Brocton and Fredonia, voters in all area school districts aproved their budgets, including Cassadaga Valley, Chautauqua Lake, Dunkirk, Forestville, Gowanda, North Collins, Pine Valley, Ripley, Silver Creek and Westfield.
Below is a breakdown of each district, including school board election candidate results.
CASSADAGA VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL
SINCLAIRVILLE - The Cassadaga Valley Central School district voters approved the proposed 2010-11 budget of $19,910,000 by nearly a two-to-one margin.
A total of 435 residents turned out for the vote Tuesday with 310 voting yes and 112 turning the spending plan down.
The residents also approved purchasing a new 66-passenger bus at a cost of $101,679 by a vote of 276 yes to 115 no.
Paul Mihalko was elected to serve on the CVCS school board. He received 369 votes to his opponent Bob Reuther's 72.
Superintendent John Brown said he was very pleased about the support the community gave the school.
"The board worked hard to maintain a budget that supports our programs and our students and it is one our community can support," he said.
Following the budget vote, the board met in executive session to discuss personnel. Brown said no action would take place following the executive session.
"The board will be taking action on the budget at its June 14 meeting," he said.
CHAUTAUQUA LAKE CENRAL SCHOOL
Voters in the Chautauqua Lake Central School District are apparently satisfied with the work of the school board as they approved the 2010-2011 budget proposal and re-elected two incumbents.
District voters approved the 2010-11 school budget of $19,120,728 by a 225-178 margin. Timothy Hull with 250 votes and Kim Weborg-Benson with 226 votes were the incumbents returned to the board. Totals for challengers Paige Davidson and Bryan Howard were not reported by the district.
The budget approved by voters, while a 3.35 percent increase over 2009-10's $18,501,560 total, will raise $9,697,898 from the property tax levy, a .03 percent decrease from last year. School officials cannot set the tax rate until assessments are finalized.
The budget did call for cutting two full-time teacher assistants; two full-time clerical positions; one full-time cleaner position; one full-time contracted social worker and the reduction of a .6 full-time equivalent business office/central staff position to two days per week instead of five.
DUNKIRK CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Dunkirk City School District budget was approved by way of a 368 to 122 vote. Voters approved the $36,345,975 budget, an increase of $12,156 over the 2009-2010 school year.
The tax levy stands at $9,614,516, the same as the previous two years, resulting in tax rates expected to remain flat. 2010-2011 tax rates per $1,000 of assessed value are expected as follows: City of Dunkirk - $23.03; Town of Dunkirk - $25.06; and Town of Sheridan - $30.54.
"I'm pleased it passed by a 5-to-1 vote. It shows a lot of people have confidence in what we're doing. The 'no's' don't bother me," Cerne said of the 122 'no' votes. "I think a lot of it is just a sign of the times. People are upset with government and where else can they take it out but right here on the school votes."
Four candidates were vying for two three-year terms on the Board of Education. Incumbents Ken Kozlowski and Linda Guy prevailed over challengers David Damico and Matthew Fountain. Kenneth Kozlowski received 526 votes; Linda Guy, 478; David Damico, 340; and Matthew Fountain, 293.
"The good news is we keep the board together, keeping the team together," Cerne said of the results. "It's important not only from a financial standpoint but also with all of the capital projects and things we have going. It's nice we're keeping the team together, this group has been together and we've got a lot accomplished the last couple of years so it's nice to know we can keep plugging away and moving forward."
The board will meet today at 7:30 a.m. to canvass the vote.
FORESTVILLE
CENTRAL SCHOOL
DISTRICT
The school board worked diligently to cut costs, and still, the tax levy increased.
However, district taxpayers continued their support of the Forestville Central School District, voting 226-105 to pass the 2010-11 budget.
"I'm very pleased that the community is still supporting our programs, especially in these difficult times," said Superintendent John O'Connor. "But Forestville has always supported education. And this means that they still do."
The second proposition to authorize the purchase of vehicles also passed by a vote of 220-101.
Four candidates ran for four open seats. Carol Woodward and Sylvester Cleary were the leading vote getters. They both received 235 votes. Nancy Stock finished third with 232 votes, and Scott Ellis received 212 votes.
The top three vote-getters receive four-year terms. Ellis receives a three-year term to fill out the remainder of the term of Patrick Valvo, who resigned earlier this year.
"We have a great working board, and there are many things we want to do," Woodward said. "But the next two years are going to be a terrible budget time, and we're going to have to work really hard."
"I was excited when I first started a couple months ago," said Cleary, who originally took over Valvo's seat. "I'm even more excited now."
The total 2010-11 budget of $10,789,265 represents a decrease of 2.56 percent from the 2009-10 budget.
But because of cuts in state aid, the 2010-11 tax levy - or the total amount to be raised in taxes - increased to $3,302,948 - a 2.93 percent jump.
"We are not done looking for ways to cut costs and to be fiscally responsible," O'Connor said. "We know that there are some tough years in front of us, and we are going to start tomorrow to start planning for that."
The estimated full value tax rate is $17.54 per thousand of assessed value. District taxpayers who reside in areas with a 100 percent equalization rate can expect to pay that projected rate, contingent upon the total district assessments - a figure that will be finalized later this year.
Throughout the budget process, O'Connor has said the state aid cuts and cost drivers are a multiple year problem.
"I don't anticipate that the state's fiscal problems will end, so we're going to anticipate the same type of problems we had this year as far as limited state aid and limited resources," he said.
GOWANDA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Gowanda Central School proposed budget passed soundly Tuesday with a vote of 348-139.
The budget totals $26,182,996, an increase of 1.9 percent over the current school year. It cuts three full-time and one part-time special education teaching positions, attributed to low enrollment, as well as several positions that were created with federal recovery funds.
A second proposition authorizing the expenditure of $250,000 maximum for school vehicles was approved by a margin of 356-126.
Two incumbents ran unopposed for 3-year terms on the school board. Current president Ann Martindale received 397 votes and Richard K. Nephew received 396 votes.
NORTH COLLINS CENTRAL SCHOOL
While voters in the North Collins Central School District approved the 2010-2011 budget proposal, they voted out an incumbent board member.
Elected as trustee for a five-year term was Martin Niefergold with 414 votes. He bested incumbent Anne D. Ehrlich who received 170 votes. Charles Alessi Jr. received one vote.
The vote on the $15,013,600 budget for 2010-2011 was Proposition #1 and passed, 351 to 213. Proposition #2 passed 377-192 and covered the purchase of school buses and/or similar vehicles for use by the Transportation Department.
PINE VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL
Pine Valley Central School had one of the largest turnouts in years to vote on its school budget as well as closer results.
A total of 307 voters arrived at the polls Tuesday. The proposed $15,172,337 budget for the 2010-2011 school year passed by a margin of 186-107, or about 63 percent in favor. The last school budget vote saw 186 voters who were 71 percent in favor of the budget.
Pine Valley eliminated no positions and one sports program - golf - in its proposed budget for an increase of 2.73 percent over the current year.
A proposition to levy $15,000 toward the school lunch program passed by a margin of 196-94 and a proposition authorizing the expenditure of $239,129 for school vehicles passed by a margin of 170-120.
Four candidates filled four vacancies on the school board. Former board member Jo Ann Anderson received 221 votes, followed by incumbent Larry Zollinger with 212 and incumbent Janie Waag with 203. All will receive full 3-year terms on the school board. Newcomer Adelia Pimm, receiving the fewest number of votes, 183, will fill the 2 years remaining in the seat of resigning board member Ronald Chase.
RIPLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
For John Hogan, Ripley Central School's interim superintendent, Tuesday's budget vote marked his last as a school administrator.
And he couldn't be more happy with the outcome.
Hogan, who is retiring at the end of the school year, was talking about an $8,863,092 spending plan district residents approved by a vote of 191 to 138.
Bob Bentley, the district's Board of Education president, was also pleased.
"It's great to have the community support," Bentley said. "We appreciate it. We thank them for it."
The approved plan, a 4.4 percent increase from 2009-10's budget, also includes a 3.5 percent tax levy increase.
While Bentley said the board originally did not want such a high tax levy increase, the resulting vote shows the community has confidence in the school's leaders.
"I think with the financial situation the state of New York is in and everybody's situation, I think the people of the community realize the board went through a tough process," he said. "I think we've got a tremendous amount of support."
Voters also approved two propositions. One, which allows for the use of expenditures from the district's transportation vehicle reserve fund to purchase a bus, passed 197 to 129. Another proposition asking for permission for the district to create a new transportation vehicle reserve fund passed 186 to 136.
Also, Board of Education incumbents Frederick Krause and Nancy Rowe kept their board seats with 151 and 216 votes, respectively. Challenger Michael Boll received 138 votes.
'The people in Ripley are supporting the kids and the process were going through," Bentley said. "We've had some conversations about where we're going and those stones will start to be turned shortly with our neighbors and our friends."
SILVER CREEK
CENTRAL SCHOOL
DISTRICT
Before the voting machines were opened to count the final results, all the Silver Creek Board of Education knew was that there had been a high voter turnout - 551 district residents made their voices heard.
"Higher turnout usually means something negative," said Board Member Lou Dispenza to his fellow board members.
But the pessimism and concerned looks quickly turned into optimism and smiles when one of the poll workers announced the results.
Silver Creek voted 353-198 to pass its 2010-11 budget.
"I hope that what this means," said Superintendent David O'Rourke, " is that the community recognizes that we had very tough choices to make, and we did the best job we could under some very difficult circumstances."
Board President Matt Bogosian said he felt the board made the right decisions to gain the support of the community.
"It's painful to make cuts, but apparently, it was needed," Bogosian said. "And I think the community appreciates the fact that we trimmed things down."
Looking over the budget results, O'Rourke let out a sigh of relief.
"At its heart, this is a community that supports its school," he said, "and as always, I'm grateful for that support."
The second proposition on the ballot - an authorization to expend $63,363 from the vehicle reserve to purchase a new vehicle - passed by a vote of 351-185.
Irene Blakely and Scott Pulver ran unopposed to win two open board seats. Blakely received 382 votes, and Pulver received 388.
The 2010-11 budget total is $20,349,694. That's a 3.71 percent increase from the 2009-10 budget.
The tax levy, or the total amount to be raised by taxes, also climbs higher in the 2010-11 budget by 2.91 percent. The levy will be $5,342,516.
By cutting some staff and prudently using their reserves, the board was able to fill the budget gap left by state aid cuts and to avoid an even bigger tax increase.
"This is a budget that the board adopted to try to position us as best as we could for the uncertainties to come in the next year," O'Rourke said.
It's estimated that the full value tax rate for 2010-11 will be $17.09 per thousand assessed value. District taxpayers who live in an area at 100 percent assessment are projected to pay that rate, contingent upon the total assessment - a figure that will be finalized later this year.
"This is a really unsettling time as far as the state budget goes, and a lot of those uncertainties aren't gone for school districts," O'Rourke said. "But this does put us in a better position to support our students' needs in the upcoming year."
WESTFIELD
ACADEMY AND
CENTRAL SCHOOL
When the dust settles at the Westfield Academy and Central School budget vote, there will be a new spending plan and a new face on the district's Board of Education.
On Tuesday, district residents approved a $14,959,958 budget, which includes a zero percent tax levy increase, by a vote of 305 to 118.
Marie Edwards, Board of Education president, said she was "relieved" when she heard the budget had passed, despite a gloomy financial forecast across the state and country.
"I felt we did the best we could do under the situation," she said. "I wasn't too concerned this year."
In the Board of Education race, incumbents Jeanne Habig, who earned 239 votes, and Joy Bodenmiller who received 308 votes, retained their seats. Meanwhile, newcomer Steve Cockram will take a seat on the board after gaining 308 votes. Ed LeBarron, another incumbent, was not re-elected. He earned 226 votes.
Mrs. Edwards said LeBarron would be missed.
"We're going to miss Ed," she said. "He's been our longest serving board member."
However, Mrs. Edwards was looking forward to see what Cockram would bring to the board.
"He's been to several of the meetings," she said. "I think that will be a plus so he has some background as to what's going on. I think he'll be a great addition."
But, Mrs. Edwards said she would only enjoy the budget's passing for a short time, as she said school officials are already getting ready for next year.
"I think next year's going to be even tougher," she said. "What we're starting in the hole with the Governor keeping his state aid payments we've got quite a gap."
