The Cazenovia Board of Education last night approved the proposed 2015-16 district budget of $26,858,858. The budget represents an increase of $362,904 or 1.37 percent from last year, and assumes a tax levy increase of 2.04 percent which is at, but does not exceed, the district’s tax levy limit for 2015-16.

The budget maintains all existing academic, athletic and extracurricular programs as well as all existing class sizes, and also reflects a change in special education programming intended to “improve the strength of the district’s special education program,” according to Assistant Superintendent Bill Furlong.

The district received $357,000 in state Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) restoration funding, which was lower than the district anticipated but about $130,000 more than the district received in 2014-15.

This year’s budget also uses $250,000 in district reserve funding, which was $500,000 less than the district was forced to use last year to help balance the budget.

“The use of our reserve funds has diminished. That’s huge,” Furlong said.

The board voted unanimously to adopt the proposed budget.

The board also scheduled its public budget hearing for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, in the high school auditorium. The purpose of the meeting is to allow members of the public to ask questions and receive information about the proposed budget.

The annual budget vote and Board of Education election will be held from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, in the high school auxiliary gymnasium. In addition to voting to approve the budget, district residents will vote on whether to approve the purchase of three 66-passenger school buses at a cost not to exceed $313,608.

The ballot will also include a Public Libraries Proposition to ask voters to approve a total of $549,121 in funding to be split between the Cazenovia Public Library and the New Woodstock Free Library.

Finally, the ballot will also include the election of three new members to the Board of Education. Current board President Pat Vogl, an 11-year member, Karin Marris, a 12-year member, and Cindy Bell Tobey, a 7-year member, have all confirmed that they will not seek reelection to their seats this year. All said their decisions were based on the belief they had served long enough and they were eager to give others an opportunity to serve.

Board clerk Pat Marzeski said that while five people so far have obtained the necessary paperwork to complete in order to run for the board, only one person so far has submitted the materials along with the required petition signatures. The deadline for candidates to submit the necessary materials is 4 p.m. this Friday, April 24.

If not enough candidates appear on the ballot, the board can appoint members until the next election. Tobey also said she would consider running again if not enough candidates came forward.

More information on the 2015-16 district budget can be found on the district’s website at cazenoviacsd.com, under the “Business Office” tab.

Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].