District budget and trustee votes on Tuesday (May 16)
HALDANE
Polls will be open on Tuesday (May 16) from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the elementary school library at 15 Craigside Drive, Cold Spring. Absentee ballot applications must be received at the district office by 4 p.m. on Monday (May 15).
The district is asking voters to approve a proposed budget for 2023-24 of $28,234,681, which will increase the tax levy by 1.96 percent, or the amount allowed by Haldane’s state-mandated tax cap. A home with a market value of $500,000 would see an annual tax increase of $138, according to the district. There is more information at haldaneschool.org.
The budget includes funding for a class of up to eight kindergarten, first- and second-graders with autism or similar needs ($166,000); a new special education teacher at the secondary level ($91,000); a French teacher ($91,000); and equipment to teach coding, robotics, design and engineering ($13,500).
There will be a second proposition on the ballot to allow the district to spend $183,000 to replace a school bus and purchase a tractor and Ford pickup truck for maintenance.
There is one open seat on the five-member school board, and one candidate, Peggy Clements, who is seeking her fourth 3-year term. See Questions for Candidates.
GARRISON
Polls will be open on Tuesday (May 16) from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the school, 1100 Route 9D. Absentee ballot applications must be received at the school by Monday (May 15).
The district is asking voters to approve a proposed budget for 2023-24 of $12,564,788, which will increase the tax levy by 3.29 percent, or the amount of permitted by Garrison’s state-mandated tax cap. A home with a market value of $500,000 would see an annual tax increase of $151, according to the district. There is more information on the budget at gufs.org.
The budget calls for the district to spend nearly $700,000 of its savings and make $220,000 in cuts, including changing the art teacher from full-time to part-time; eliminating the part-time Committee on Special Education chair and assigning those duties to the school psychologist; and dropping a bus from its contract fleet and adjusting routes to allow for one less driver, perhaps stopping service for any child who lives within 2 miles of the school.
There will be two other propositions on the ballot: (1) to take $45,000 from a capital reserve fund to replace the district’s oil-based water heaters with electric units, and (2) to allow the district to contract for two to five years (rather than one) to allow students to attend Putnam Valley High School. (Garrison goes through eighth grade; students can then choose Haldane, O’Neill or Putnam Valley high schools.)
There are three open seats on the seven-member school board, and three candidates: Jocelyn Apicello, who is seeking her second 3-year term, and newcomers Jennifer Harriton-Wilson and Dan Jasnow. See Questions for Candidates.
BEACON
Polls will be open on Tuesday (May 16) from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Beacon residents vote at Beacon High School, 101 Matteawan Road. District residents in Fishkill and Wappingers Falls vote at Glenham Elementary School, 20 Chase Drive, Fishkill. Absentee ballot applications must be delivered to the district office at 10 Education Drive by Monday (May 15).
The district is asking voters to approve a proposed budget for 2023-24 of $81,340,700, which will increase the tax levy by 3.64 percent, or $1.6 million, without exceeding the district’s state-mandated tax cap. There is more information on the budget at beaconk12.org.
The budget includes four new positions at Rombout Middle School — a social worker, a world language (Italian) teacher, a reading teacher to support students not meeting grade-level standards and a part-time music teacher. In addition, a preschool teacher would allow the district to expand its pre-K program to each of its four elementary schools.
The district estimates that property taxes will increase $135 per year for a home valued at $300,000 in Beacon; $168 per year for district residents in Fishkill; and $199 per year for those in Wappingers Falls. The estimated tax rate increase across the three municipalities, using current assessments, would be 3.98 percent.
There are three other propositions on the ballot to allow the district to: (1) spend up to $530,000 to purchase three 72-passenger buses and a van; (2) spend up to $466,000 on an electric school bus, as long as it receives grants of up to $250,000; and (3) provide transportation to students who live more than a mile from their school (the current limit is 1.5 miles), at a cost of about $10,000.
There are four open seats on the nine-member school board, and four candidates: Anthony White and Kristan Flynn, who are seeking their fourth and third terms, respectively, and newcomers Semra Ercin and Eric Schetter. Craig Wolf did not seek re-election to a third term. See Questions for Candidates.
Three candidates will serve 3-year terms, and the candidate who receives the least votes will complete the final two years of the term of Antony Tseng, who resigned in March.
