Ti, Schroon Lake, St. Regis budgets rejected

TICONDEROGA — School budgets in Ticonderoga, St. Regis Falls and Schroon Lake were defeated in voting Tuesday.

All other area budgets passed.

TICONDEROGA

Voters in Ticonderoga Central School District rejected the $18.3 million budget, 521 to 421.

The budget included a 6.5-percent hike in the tax levy, partly due to building costs. School Superintendent John McDonald Jr. said the levy increase was likely a major factor in the vote.

He said voters in Ticonderoga actually approved the budget, but it was defeated in the Hague portion of the district.

McDonald said the School Board will likely hold a special meeting to decide what to do next.

In the School Board race, Mark Russell, with 548 votes; Robert Palandrani Jr., 542 votes; and R. William Grinnell, 523 votes, were elected. Bruce Clark received 516 votes.

ST. REGIS falls

The $7,637,850 budget, which featured a 9.53-percent levy increase, was defeated, 206 to 113.

Voters also rejected the proposition to purchase two 65-passenger buses at a cost not to exceed $181,150; that vote was 179 no to 128 yes.

Monica Lovewell was elected to the School Board, with three write-in votes. Ralph Cox received one vote; Chris Goodrow, two; Larry Cheney, one; Mike Robinson, one; and Rob Northrup, two.

School Superintendent Patricia Dovi said the state of the economy was likely a factor in the failed votes.

"We have a block of voters who are retired and on a fixed income, and the reality for them is that some have to make choices between buying food and medicine" and other expenses.

She described district residents as hard-working people who are careful with their money and said she believes most are happy with the school's academics and programs.

Dovi pointed out that people have little control over other types of government spending, and that their ability to decide school budgets "is the one way they have to be heard in mass."

The School Board will meet at 6 tonight at the school to decide how to proceed from here. The meeting is open to the public.

SCHROON LAKE

The $7.44 million budget, which featured a 5.5-percent tax-levy increase, was defeated by a close vote: 242 no votes to 203 yes.

A proposition to purchase a school bus for $95,000 also failed; the vote was 245 no to 203 yes.

Peter Veverka was elected to the School Board, with 320 votes.

Superintendent Michael Bonnewell did not return a call Tuesday night seeking comment.

Here's a look at results from area schools where the budgets passed:

AUSABLE VALLEY

The $26,569,342 budget, which featured a 3.1-percent tax-levy increase passed by a 437-361 vote.

Scott R. Bombard, 569 votes; Susan J. Richards, 590; and David B. Whitford, 518, were elected to the School Board.

BEEKMANTOWN

The $37,458,259 budget, which featured a 1.89-percent tax-levy decrease, passed by a 418-111 vote.

Karen Armstrong, 424 votes, and Cathy Buckley, 404 votes, were elected to the School Board.

A proposition to purchase three 65-passenger buses and one 48-passenger school bus at a total cost not to exceed $406,153 passed by a 404 to 117 vote.

BRUSHTON-MOIRA

The $15,355,345 budget, which featured a 2.99-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 206-94 vote.

George Martin, 200 votes, and Valerie Pelkey, 182 votes, were elected to the School Board.

A proposition to purchase two 66-passenger buses at a cost not to exceed $190,000 passed by a 180-104 vote.

A proposition to purchase 9.1 acres on Gale Road at a cost not to exceed $9,500 passed by a 168-113 vote.

CHATEAUGAY

The $10,547,971 budget, which featured a 3.74-percent tax-levy increase, passed 263-79.

Elected to a three-year seat was John McCormick with 255 votes. David Leonard received 91 votes.

The other two three-year seats went to: Scott Henderson, 270 votes; and Sue Jones-King, 262 votes.

A proposition to raise the total contribution of the Chateaugay Memorial Library to $29,625 passed by a 175-110 vote.

CHAZY

The $9,910,986 budget, which featured a 1.42-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 257-112 vote.

Craig Giroux was elected to one four-year School Board seat with 307 votes. The four-year seat was won by Shawn Rogers, with 188 votes. Tom Trombly received 170 votes.

The proposition for funding for the Chazy Public Library passed 228-86.

Debby Powers was elected to the library trustee post with 284 votes.

CROWN POINT

The $6.27 million budget, which featured a 3.81-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 135-30 vote.

Mitch St. Pierre, 99 votes; Julie Budwick, 93 votes; and Kathy DeBrobander, 123 votes, were elected to the School Board.

ELIZABETHTOWN-LEWIS

The $7,504,953 budget, which had no tax-levy change from 2009-10, passed by a 374-140 vote.

Karin DeMuro was elected to a three-year seat on the School Board, with 426 votes.

The two-year seat was won by Tammy Apthorp, with 328 votes, while William Haseltine received 200.

The one-year seat went to Karen Hooper, with 352 votes, while Paul Fenton received 181.

KEENE

The $5,239,914 budget, which featured a 1.98-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 132-68 vote.

Ann Whitney, 173 votes, and Jim Marlatt, 135 votes, were elected to the School Board.

LAKE PLACID

The $16,000,779 budget, which featured a 3.45-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 572-269 vote.

Elected to two School Board seats were Jerry Blair, 488 votes, and Janet Smith, 579 votes. Herbert Stoerr received 448 votes.

A proposition to lease two 66-passenger buses for five years at a cost not to exceed $39,000 per year passed by a 569-268 vote.

A proposition to increase the transfer of funding from $9,200 to $11,000 for the Wilmington E.M. Cooper Memorial Public Library passed by a 517-303 vote.

MALONE

The $42,521,640 budget, which featured a 2.88-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 491-169 vote.

Stephen Dupree was elected to a five-year term on the School Board, with 425 votes. Heidi Miletich was elected to a one-year unexpired term, with 402 votes. Michelle Schumacher received 385 votes.

MINERVA

The $5,318,299 budget, which featured a 5-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 109-80 vote.

Dr. Jeffery Eager was elected to the School Board, with 150 votes.

MORIAH

The $13.94 million budget, which did not have any change in the tax levy from 2009-10, passed by a 379-121 vote.

Charles "Chuck" French, with 350 votes; Rose Rice, with 331 votes; and Benjamin Winters, with 319 votes, all won a seat on the School Board. Kathryn Lacey received 287 votes.

A proposition to buy a school bus for $96,000 passed, 343 to 158.

NEWCOMB

The $4.9 million budget, which featured a 0.37-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 121-40 vote.

Robin DeLoria was elected to a five-year term on the School Board, with 106 votes. Stacy McNulty received 56 votes. Andrew Cullen was elected to a one-year unexpired term, with 112 votes.

A proposition to purchase a van, at a cost not to exceed $30,000, passed 131 to 29.

NORTHEASTERN CLINTON

The $27,802,647 budget, which did not have any change in the tax levy from 2009-10, passed by a vote of 339-108.

Perrin Knapp was elected to a five-year seat on the School Board with 354 votes. The other five-year seat went to Lynn Grovine, with 231 votes. Orville Nedeau received 186 votes.

A proposition to purchase four 66-passenger school buses for $396,000 passed, 297-143.

A proposition to fund three local libraries of $8,600 each passed, 331-87.

NORTHERN ADIRONDACK

The $18,255,598 budget, which featured a 2.5-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 452-178 vote.

Joey Varin was elected to a five-year seat on the School Board with 303 votes, while Jeremy Brunton received 135 and Leonard Welch received 242.

The other five-year seat went to Stephen Peryea, with 213 votes. Diane Bonefant received 70 votes; Robert Hogan, 187; Sarah Lawrence, 138; and Trudy McNeil, 81.

A proposition to purchase three buses for $292,503 passed by a 369-146 vote.

PERU

The $42,351,113 budget, which featured a 2.9-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 617-481 vote.

Jonathan Ruff, 825 votes, and Cynthia Mills, 804 votes, were elected to the School Board.

A proposition to purchase three 65-passenger school buses at a total cost not to exceed $300,000 passed by a 547-535 vote.

PLATTSBURGH

The $37,519,424 budget, which featured a 2.45-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 610-491 vote.

Leisa Boise, with 774 votes, and Stephen Krieg, 646 votes, were elected to five-year terms on the School Board.

Clayton Morris, who had been the School Board president, received 564 votes.

The termination of former Plattsburgh High School Principal John Fairchild may have been a factor in that vote, as Boise had voted to retain Fairchild and Morris had voted not to renew his contract.

Fairchild had the support of many parents, students and community members, but his contract was not renewed. He was later hired as a principal at Salmon River Central School and was just recently chosen to be Chazy Central Rural School's new superintendent.

SALMON RIVER

The $25,204,071 budget, which featured a 2.99-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 260-135 vote.

Greg F. Cunningham, with 302 votes, and Clarissa Chatland, 264 votes, were elected to five-year terms on the School Board. Shannon Nye received 165 votes.

SARANAC

The $31,183,859 budget, which featured a 6.9-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 370-316 vote.

Samantha Cross was elected to a five-year seat on the School Board, with 428 votes. Amy Belair was elected to a two-year seat, with 380 votes.

A proposition to authorize the School Board to withdraw $290,298 from the Capital Reserve Fund to buy school buses and equipment passed by a 419-232 vote.

SARANAC LAKE

The $27,026,404 budget, which featured a 2.95-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 807-293 vote.

Susan Rdzanek was elected to the School Board, with 528 votes. Terrence Tubridy received 248 votes and Lisa Paschke, 210.

A proposition to levy taxes of $130,200 for Saranac Lake Free Library passed by a 720-314 vote.

TUPPER LAKE

The $16,418,825 budget, which featured a 9.91-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 600-465 vote.

Dawn Hughes, 721 votes; Dan Mansfield, 786; and Mark Yamrick, 826, were elected to the School Board.

A proposition to purchase two school buses at a cost not to exceed $205,000 passed by a 544-453 vote.

WESTPORT

The $5,200,000 budget, which featured a 4.45-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 253-199 vote.

Alice LaRock was elected to the School Board, with 338 votes.

A proposition to purchase a passenger van, not to exceed $35,000, passed by a 313-136 vote.

WILLSBORO

The $7,930,891 budget, which featured a 1.82-percent tax-levy increase, passed by a 247-78 vote.

Bruce Hale was returned to the School Board, with 273 votes.

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St. Regis, Schroon Lake, Ti school spending plans rejected

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