Schools

Voices from the Vote: Yorktown Central School District

The Yorktown Central School District's proposed 2012-2013 budget of $92 million is put to a public vote at Mohansic Elementary School on May 15.

Despite the rain, Yorktown residents came out to  on Tuesday to vote on the 's budget for 2012-13.

Voter turnout was "steady," according to district clerk Rebecca Narvaez and similar to last year's slower-than-average voter turnout. The residents who voted said they're concerned about increasing taxes and maintaining the school programs, but many felt education is a top priority for the community and approving the budget would be best for the children.

"As long as my kids are in the district, I'm going to support it," said Steve Scanlon, who has two children attending Yorktown schools. "[The district seems] to have good leadership and I want what's best for the kids in the district." 

Find out what's happening in Yorktown-Somerswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If approved, the budget of $92,175,000 would raise taxes by 2.31 percent for the town of Yorktown taxpayers within the district, or the equivalent to $212.8 additional per year for the typical Yorktown homeowner, per $10,000 of assessed value.

The  is 1.15 percent, which includes  expenses. The school district is adhering to the 2-percent tax cap and is $908,000 below the cap allowance. With the allowable exclusions, the associated tax levy increase is 2.23 percent (lowered from the  in March). 

Find out what's happening in Yorktown-Somerswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In April, administrators announced the district had received an additional $190,000 from the state, half of which school administrators will give back to its taxpayers. The rest of the $95,000 will be placed into a contingency fund.

The vote brought out both parents of current students and those of YHS graduates, who all had their own take on the proposal, but most seemed to be in favor of the budget.

Around 2:30 p.m. today, about 526 people had voted. A total of 541 voters had cast their ballots by the same time last year. In 2011, 1,037 voted "yes" in support, while 562 voters were against the budget.

Jennifer Gelick, who has two young children in the district and is also a PTA member, said she has been closely following the budget. Her biggest concern was that not enough people would vote to pass the budget, she said. 

"I think programs need to be funded and it's unfortunate our taxes have to increase, but the best use of our money is for the education of our children," Gelick said. 

If the budget does not pass there would be program cuts she would not be happy with, she said, such as band, orchestra and performing arts.  

"I think the community has to support the school district," said Mara Ziedins, co-owner of . "If they don't splurge on nonsense things, then we can support the basic education of our children in the community."

Ziedins voted in favor of the budget, and said she wanted the school to look into ways to spend less on transportation. 

Ken Schwarts, who has two kids in the district, said he wanted to make sure teachers have the resources to teach the students and students have the tools they need to learn.

Tama Goodstein, who grew up in Yorktown and graduated from Yorktown High School and now has two children in the district, said she was in favor of the budget and called it "workable."

"It's something that's not going to raise our taxes too much," she said. 

Click here for the entire school budget as posted on the school district's website.

The polls at Mohansic Elementary School, located in the gym, will be open until 9 p.m. Tuesday night.

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