On May 16, Arkport Central School District residents approved the district’s $13.7 million budget proposal and elected one board of education member.
Voters approved:
An $13,772,047 budget for the 2023-24 school year that increases spending by $307,040 (2.28%) from the current year and carries a 1.25% tax levy increase: 139 yes; 115 no, a 54% approval;
Authorization to enter into a five-year lease for one 66-passenger school bus at a cost not to exceed $160,000: 191 yes; 63 no, a 75% approval; and
The election of Tracie McCarthy to the Arkport Board of Education. Tracie McCarthy will begin a five-year term on July 1, 2023. Board of education candidate votes totals are:
Tracie McCarthy 126 votes
Timothy Bailey 114 votes
The 2023-24 budget proposal preserves all current programs and services and supports the district’s commitment to providing Arkport students with the mindsets and skill sets they need to succeed. It includes a 4.0 FTE (full time equivalent) reduction in staff to address enrollment changes, mostly at the elementary level.
“I want to thank all of the Arkport residents who voted today,” Superintendent Jesse Harper said. “The community’s support of our students and staff is very appreciated. This spending plan respects our obligation to the taxpayers while continuing to build on the progress we’ve made in the past years.”
Additionally, voters selected Joanne Bisson to serve on the Arkport Public Library Board of Trustees and authorized the district to levy and collect $37,531 in taxes to support the public library’s services and offerings.
New York state education law allows libraries to place a funding proposition on school district ballots and requires school districts, at the libraries’ requests, to levy and collect taxes for libraries.
The libraries are separate legal entities from the school district, with their own funding and budget. The amount of the tax levy collected by a school district for a library remains the same each year until the library requests a proposition to change that amount.
Visit www.arkportcsd.org to learn more about the 2023-24 school budget.
Tonight's vote results are unofficial. Vote totals will be certified on Wednesday, May 17.