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May 16, 2007

All school budgets approved

North Country voters pass all spending plans

By STEPHEN BARTLETT

PLATTSBURGH -- Voters approved all public-school budgets in Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties Tuesday night.

This year's state budget meant more aid than usual for most local public schools, though, many said, still not enough to keep up with cost increases in areas such as special education, health insurance, energy and retirement systems.

As a result, the burden to fund public education continues to fall more and more on the shoulders of taxpayers.

Some districts, such as Plattsburgh City Schools, didn't enjoy the same aid increase as others in Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties. School officials there worry about what the future holds as far as state funding and plan to plead their case with lawmakers.

The state, meanwhile, continues to grapple with a court order to overhaul the way public education in New York is funded.

Here's the vote results from local districts:

AUSABLE VALLEY

2007-08 budget: approved 380 to 135.

School Board candidates (three seats): Scott Bombard 391 votes; Anthony Deyoe, 326 votes; and David Whitford, 340 votes.

BEEKMANTOWN

2007-08 budget: approved 572 to 388.

School Board candidates (two seats): Stanley Kourofsky, with 491 votes, and Earl Burnell, with 656, were elected to the School Board. David S. Witkowski received 404 votes and Christopher Waterbury, 384.

Propositions: Purchase four buses at a cost not to exceed $360,282, approved 640 to 306.

BOLTON

2007-08 budget: approved 197 to 137.

Proposition: Purchase a bus, approved 225 to 108.

Proposition: Excel capital-improvement project, approved 187 to 139.

School Board candidates (two seats): Linda Bennette, 233 votes; and Claire Kingsley, 206 votes.

BRUSHTON-MOIRA

2007-08 budget: approved 218 to 89.

School Board candidates (two seats): David Dufrane, with 200 votes, and Stephen Perry, with 199 votes, were elected to the School Board. Robert Devins received 152 votes.

Propositions: Purchase two 66-passenger buses at a cost not to exceed $175,700, approved 208 to 85.

Reduce the term of School Board members from five to three years, beginning in the 2008-09 school year, approved 240 to 46.



CHATEAUGAY

2007-08 budget: approved 261 to 39.

Elected to the School Board were: Scott Henderson, 221 votes; John McCormick, 218 votes; and Susie Jones-King, 189 votes, were elected. Bill Harrigan received 130 votes.

Proposition: Purchase two buses at a cost not to exceed $171,390, approved 232 to 45.

CHAZY

2007-08 budget: approved 193 to 110.

School Board candidates: (two seats) Rosemary Souza-Botten, 200 votes; and Mary LaPierre, 224 votes.

Propositions: To raise by tax $18,600 for Chazy Public Library, with a tax rate of about 9 cents per $1,000 assessed value, approved 179 to 92.

CROWN POINT

2007-08 budget amount: approved 120 to 28.

School Board candidates (three seats): Kenneth LaDeau, 85 votes; Michael "Mitch" St. Pierre, 107 votes; and Julianne "Julie" Budwick, 88 votes.

ELIZABETHTOWN

2007-08 budget amount: approved 120 to 48.

School Board candidate: William Haseltine, 115 votes.

KEENE

2007-08 budget amount: approved 108 to 23.

School Board candidates: (two open seats) Ann Whitney, 124 votes; and Jim Marlatt, 118 votes.

LAKE PLACID

(Vote totals weren't available at presstime.)

2007-08 budget amount: approved.

School Board candidates (two seats): Janet Smith and Bernie Roy were elected.

Proposition: Lease two 66-passenger school buses at $29,935 each and one 54-passenger school bus with a wheelchair lift for $16,300, approved.



MALONE

2007-08 budget: approved 309 to 87.

School Board candidates (two seats): Wayne Rogers, 364 votes; and Carol Hunter, 324 votes.

Propositions: Purchase four buses at a cost not to exceed $392,000, approved 282 to 74.

MINERVA

2007-08 budget amount: approved 109 to 31.

School Board candidate: Lester Sternin, 106 votes.



MORIAH

2007-08 budget amount: approved 364 to 215.

School Board candidates (three seats): Elected to the School Board were: Charles "Chuck" French, 457 votes; William Mitchell, 379 votes; and Rose Rice, 420 votes. Joanne Baker Mazzotte had 236 votes.

Proposition: Purchase one new school bus for $86,000, approved 373 to 195.

Proposition 2: Two vans for a total of $30,000, approved 360 to 203.

NEWCOMB

2007-08 budget amount: approved 70 to 12.

School Board candidate: (one seat) Colleen Sage, 75 votes.

NORTHERN ADIRONDACK

2007-08 budget: approved 231 to 54.

School Board candidates (one seat): Edward Scott was elected with 167 votes, defeating Michael Carter, 139.

Proposition: To purchase bus, cost about 2 cents per $1,000 assessed value for five years; buy three 66-passenger buses at no more than $245,407 with about 88-percent state reimbursement, approved 205 to 36.

NORTHEASTERN CLINTON

2007-08 budget: approved 280 to 220.

School Board candidates (one seat): Dan Letourneau was elected with 169 votes, defeating Samuel Blain, 83; Lynn Grovine, 154; and Paul LaValley, 86.

Propositions: Buy five full-size buses and two vans at no more than $476,000 with a tax rate of about 22 cents per $1,000 assessed value, to be reimbursed at 90 percent by state aid, approved 273 to 215.

Raise by tax $23,400 ($7,800 each) for the public libraries in Rouses Point, Champlain and Mooers with a tax rate of just under 5 cents per $1,000, approved 332 to 166.

PERU

2007-08 budget: approved 609 to 458.

School Board candidates (one seat): Rod Driscoll was elected with 512 vote. Darcy Purick earned 474 votes.

Proposition: Purchase two 65-passenger school buses and one 30-passenger bus at a cost not to exceed $300,000, approved 664 to 390.

Proposition: General capital reserve fund, 600 to 436.

PLATTSBURGH

2007-08 budget: approved 392 to 313.

School Board candidates (one seat): Brian Herkalo, 531 votes.

Proposition: Authorize a $7,064,388 bond issue to address health and safety, code-compliance and energy-efficiency concerns and make additional advancements and necessary repairs and upgrades, approved 432 to 252.

SALMON RIVER

2007-08 budget: approved 198 to 54.

School Board candidates (two seats): Kathleen Lauzon, 196 votes; and Anna Delorimiere, 191 votes.

Propositions: To purchase buses at a cost not to exceed $300,000, approved 215 to 41.

Add a non-voting student member to the School Board for the 2007-08 school year, approved 205 to 47.

SARANAC

2007-08 budget: approved 269 to 92.

School Board candidates (one seat): Jules LaPoint was elected with 239 votes. Amy Belair received 118 votes.

Propositions: To spend $362,880 from Capital Reserve Fund to buy school buses and associated equipment, approved 288 to 61.

SARANAC LAKE

2007-08 budget amount: approved 464 to 363.

School Board candidates: Incumbent Linda Piro, with 432 votes, lost to challenger Tracey Schrader, who had 504 votes.

Proposition 1: Levy $120,320 for general operating funds to the Saranac Lake Free Library, approved 587 to 353.

Proposition 2: Allow a high school student attending school within district to serve as ex officio, non-voting member of the School Board, approved 649 to 283.

SCHROON LAKE

2007-08 budget amount: approved 214 to 91.

School Board candidates (one seat): John Armstrong was elected with 169 votes. Shawn Baker received 87 votes.

Proposition: Purchase a new 65-passenger school bus for $94,500, approved 212 to 95.

ST. REGIS FALLS

2007-08 budget: approved 144 to 85.

School Board candidates (two seats): Mickey Smith, 129 votes; and Michelle Brockway, 163 votes.

Propositions: Purchase three buses at a cost not to exceed $285,000, approved 168 to 66.

TICONDEROGA

2007-08 budget amount: approved 382 to 169.

School Board candidates (three seats): Elected to the School Board were Gary Davis, 375 votes; Mark Russell, 387 votes; and Robert Palandrani Jr., 367 votes. Christopher Burns Sr. received 335 votes.

TUPPER LAKE

2007-08 budget amount: approved 317 to 48.

Proposition 1: Buy three 60-passenger school buses at a cost not to exceed $265,000, approved 303 to 50.

WESTPORT

2007-08 budget amount: approved 116 to 102.

School Board candidate: George E. Maffey, 153 votes.

Propositions: Purchase 65-passenger school bus from bus reserve fund for $73,428, approved 160 to 58.

WILLSBORO

2007-08 budget amount: approved 203 to 86.

School Board candidate: Bruce Hale, 234 votes.

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