By STEPHEN BARTLETT
PLATTSBURGH — Only one North Country school saw its budget defeated Tuesday: St. Regis Falls.
The proposed 2009-10 budget of $7,590,163 went down by a vote of 187 against 88 in favor.
The budget would have increased the tax levy, which is the amount of the budget to be raised by property taxes, 5.66 percent over this year's amount.
St. Regis Falls Central School Superintendent Patricia Dovi said the next step is up to the School Board, which will meet on May 27.
"I will discuss with the board the topic at that time," she said late Tuesday. "They will make that decision."
Elsewhere, voters overwhelmingly approved public-school budgets in Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties, despite significant financial struggles locally and nationwide.
Plattsburgh City School's spending plan overwhelmingly passed, as well, silencing speculation that residents angry over the dismissal of High School Principal John Fairchild might take their frustration out on the budget.
Here's a look at the other results:
AuSABLE VALLEY
The 2009-10 budget of $26,368,086 was approved by a vote of 382 to 184. The tax levy is up 2.9 percent.
School Board (three open seats): Mary Bailey, 369; Robyn Pray, 415; and Sherry A. Snow, 433.
BEEKMANTOWN
The 2009-10 budget of $37,055,620 was approved by a vote of 554 to 225. The tax levy remains the same as this year.
School Board: Pauline Stone with 500 votes and Carole Race with 443 votes will fill two five-year terms, while Ed Marin with 403 votes will fill the unexpired term. Cathy Buckley received 387 votes and Joe Lavorando Sr. 248 votes.
Propositions: Purchase four 65-passenger buses at a cost not to exceed $375,798, with a 78.7 percent state-reimbursement rate and trade in four buses, passed 568 to 204.
Transfer no more than $240,000 from the district unappropriated fund balance to purchase bleachers for the football field passed 402 to 362.
BRUSHTON-MOIRA
The 2009-10 budget of $15,240,481 was approved by a vote of 254 to 128. The tax levy is up 3.94 percent.
School Board: Valerie Dunning, running uncontested, will take one three-year seat with 259 votes. Melissa Mills won the other three-year seat with 233 votes to George Martin's 193.
Propositions: To purchase two buses at a cost not to exceed $184,500 passed 234 to 115.
To purchase a maintenance-compact tractor from unappropriated fund balance not to exceed $40,000 passed 203 to 143.
CHAZY CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $9,577,514 was approved by a vote of 178 to 83. The tax levy is up 0.5 percent.
School Board (two four-year seats): Jerry Ducatte, 190 votes; and Joey Trombley, 184.
Proposition: Funding for Chazy Library passed 178 to 66. The new library trustee is Christine Trombley, with 208 votes.
CHATEAUGAY CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $10,655,430 was approved by a vote of 158 to 11. The tax levy will increase 3.05 percent.
School Board (two three-year seats): William Wood, 134; and John Swanston, 123.
CROWN POINT
The 2009-10 budget of $6.27 million was approved by a vote of 192 to 23. The tax levy is up 2.5 percent.
School Board: Kimberly Woods earned a three-year seat with 176 votes. Write-in candidates were Chris Bruce, with 29 votes; Cathy Debrobander, 24 votes; and Brian Kiely, with 20 votes.
Proposition: Reduce the size of the School Board from nine to seven members passed 169 to 43. Three three-year seats on the School Board were open, but since the proposition to reduce the number of board members passed only one seat was available.
ELIZABETHTOWN-LEWIS
The 2009-10 budget of $7,599,985 was approved by a vote of 206 to 40. The tax levy is unchanged from this year.
School Board: Brett Sicola earned a three-year position with 158 votes, while Paul Fenton earned 99 votes; Mark Hummel, running unopposed for another three-year position, earned 206 votes.
KEENE CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $5,176,616 was approved by a vote of 129 to 19. The tax levy is up 0.75 percent.
School Board: Kathy Regan earned a three-year term with 131 votes, and Matt Donahue earned an unexpired two-year term with 112 votes.
LAKE PLACID CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $15,757,499 was approved by a vote of 309 to 226. The tax levy is up 3.97 percent.
School Board (two three-year seats): Cathy Johnston, 426; and Jill Cardinale Segger, 406.
Proposition: To lease a new school bus for $19,000 passed 327 to 183.
MALONE CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $41,931,396 was approved by a vote of 322 to 144. The tax levy is up 2.52 percent.
School Board (two five-year terms): Arlie Collins, 356; and Gordon Hutchins, 382.
Proposition: To purchase five 66-passenger buses at a cost not to exceed $555,667 passed 256 to 142.
MINERVA CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $5.23 million was approved by a vote of 108 to 48. The tax levy is up 3.4 percent.
School Board: The one five-year seat went to Eric Gelber with 91 votes.
MORIAH CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $13.9 million was approved by a vote of 357 to 291. The tax levy is up 2 percent.
School Board: The three three-year seats went to Erica Sears Kazlo, with 467 votes; Stacie Jaquish, 413; and James A. Stahl, 378 votes; the one-year seat went to Kathryn Lacey, with 321 votes; the other candidates were Edmund Trombley, 264 votes; and Charles Reeder, 305 votes.
Proposition: Purchase two full-size school buses for $188,000 passed 353 to 292.
NEWCOMB CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $4,924,562 was approved by a vote of 69 to 19. The tax levy is up 7 percent.
School Board: The one five-year seat went to Kevin Bolan with 76 votes.
NORTHERN ADIRONDACK
The 2009-10 budget of $17,883,033 was approved by a vote of 218 to 60. The tax levy is up 1.36 percent.
School Board: The one five-year seat went to Richard Harriman Sr., with 134 votes; the other candidate was Jeremy Brunton, 129 votes.
Proposition: Bus purchase passed 197 to 35.
NORTHEASTERN CLINTON
The 2009-10 budget of $28,083,482 was approved by a vote of 284 to 104. The tax levy is unchanged from this year.
School Board (one five-year seat): Linda Gonyo-Horne grabbed the five-year seat with 233 votes, while Shane Brink earned 153 votes.
Proposition: For the Mooers, Champlain and Rouses Point libraries to receive $8,300 each passed 292 to 83.
PERU CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $42,148,563 was approved by a vote of 479 to 356. The tax levy is up 2.82 percent.
School Board (one five-year term): Donna LaRocque will fill a five-year term with 590 votes.
PLATTSBURGH CITY SCHOOL
The 2009-10 budget of $37,484,438 was approved by a vote of 301 to 171. The tax levy is up 1.18 percent.
School Board (two five-year terms): Fred Wachtmeister, 458 votes; and Tracy Rotz, 484 votes.
SALMON RIVER CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of 24,097,974 was approved by a vote of 203 to 60. The tax levy is up 0.85 percent.
School Board: Robert Durant, running unopposed for one five-year seat, received 245 votes. Stacy Adams was elected to the second five-year seat in a close race. She received 134 votes, and Matthew Mainville drew 129 votes.
Propositions: To use up to $50,000 from a reserve fund to purchase one school bus passed 212 to 49.
To purchase or lease the bus at a cost not to exceed $50,000 passed 200 to 61.
To allow in next year's School Board races the person with the most votes to serve the longest-available term passed 188 to 80.
To have a non-voting student representative serve on the School Board passed 199 to 62.
SARANAC CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $31,253,112 was approved by a vote of 217 to 61. The tax levy is up 2.6 percent.
School Board: Robert Brooks won the five-year term with 138 votes, while Lana Provost drew 93 votes. T. Michael Rascoe, running unopposed for a five-year term, received 212 votes. There were no ballot candidates for an unexpired one-year term, but the school received 14 write-in votes, all for separate people. A special election may need to be held to fill the seat.
Proposition: Purchase three 60-passenger buses and one 24-passenger handicapped bus at a cost not to exceed $386,625 passed 240 to 32.
SARANAC LAKE CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $26,742,525 was approved by a vote of 577 to 267. The tax levy is unchanged from this year.
School Board (two three-year seats): Elected were Kathleen Fischer, with 686 votes; and Debra Lennon, 657 votes. Jon Vinograd received 482.
Proposition: To allocate $128,860 for the Saranac Lake Free Library passed 703 to 259.
SCHROON LAKE CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $7.34 million was approved by a vote of 297 to 229. The tax levy is up 13.9 percent.
School Board (one three-year seat): Diane Tyrell won with 341 votes; Bruce Murdock received 177.
Proposition: Purchase a school bus for $95,000 passed 331 to 220.
ST. REGIS FALLS CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $7,590,163 was defeated by a vote of 88 to 187. The tax levy is up 5.66 percent.
School Board (one one-year unexpired term; one five-year term): Christopher Goodrow and Jeannie Wood.
Proposition: To purchase a 65-passenger school bus at a cost not to exceed $112,424 passed 145 to 135.
TICONDEROGA CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $17.1 million was approved by a vote of 441 to 162. The tax levy is up 2.8 percent.
School Board: The three three-year seats went to Frederick LaVallie, 402 votes; James Wells Sr., 400 votes; and John Lenhart, 341 votes. Glenn McKee received 267 votes, and Donna VanWirt, 238 votes.
TUPPER LAKE CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $16,197,579 was approved by a vote of 351 to 65. The tax levy is up 3.2 percent.
School Board (one three-year seat): Jane Whitmore, 347 votes.
Proposition: To purchase two buses at a maximum cost of $195,000 passed 349 to 63.
WESTPORT CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $5,074,606 was approved by a vote of 189 to 143. The tax levy is up 3.52 percent.
School Board (one five-year seat): Dr. Susan Russell, 271 votes.
Proposition: Purchase one 65-passenger school bus, not to exceed $85,900, using money from the Bus Reserve Fund, passed 215 to 115.
WILLSBORO CENTRAL
The 2009-10 budget of $7,969,502 was approved by a vote of 199 to 81. The tax levy is down 0.06 percent.
School Board (two seats): Phyllis Klein, 224; and Scott Sayward, 232.
Proposition: Establish a reserve fund to be known as the General Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of financing a transportation facility, protection of school buildings and facilities and for school-bus purchasing passed 185 to 73.
— News Editor Lois Clermont, Assistant News Editor Rachael Osborne and Night Editor Nathan Ovalle contributed to this report.
