By Ashley M. Casey
Staff Writer
At the April 12 edition of the Baldwinsville Central School District’s Coffee and Conversation series, Assistant Superintendent for Management Services Jamie Rodems outlined the 2018-19 school budget.
Since New York state’s budget was approved March 31, Rodems said, the district could not present the complete budget in time for the April 2 meeting of the Baldwinsville Board of Education. The budget now includes Baldwinsville’s share of state aid.
The board approved the budget at its meeting Monday, April 16.
Check out the accompanying infographic for the highlights of the budget, and read on to learn about what else will be on the ballot May 15. For more budget specifics, visit bville.org.
Safety and Security Capital Project
The district will ask voters to approve a $4.31 million capital project for safety and security upgrades. The project includes:
• Lockdown capability in all school corridors and classrooms
• Secure vestibules in the elementary schools with an attendant to sign in visitors
• Classroom doors that instantly lock at the touch of a button
• Improved video monitoring
• Updated signage for entrances and exits
• Mass notification system
• Security film and glass hardening of windows
The district is looking to bond for the cost over 15 years and use $830,000 from its capital reserve account to cover the local share. State building aid will cover the rest.
Baldwinsville has secured a $3.5 million Smart Schools grant, $1.4 million of which will go toward technology. The remaining $2.1 million will be spent on safety and security. If voters approve the security capital project, the district will have $6.41 million to spend for security upgrades.
The 2018-19 budget also includes the hiring of two additional school resource officers — one at Ray Middle School and one “team leader” who will float among schools — and 3.5 new positions in special education, counseling and academic support.
Bus proposition and BOE
In addition to the full 2018-19 budget and the safety capital project, the school district is asking voters to approve the purchase of 11 vehicles for a total of $1,087,060:
• Chevrolet Suburban: $58,000
• Eight 65-passenger buses: $887,040
• Two 24-passenger buses: $142,020
Petitions to run for school board were due April 16. Five candidates will run for three seats on the Baldwinsville Board of Education. Check back in a couple of weeks for profiles of the candidates.
When and where to vote
The district will hold a public hearing on the 2018-19 budget and a “Meet the Candidates” session at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 8, at Durgee Junior High School. Voting takes place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, at the Baker High School auditorium, located at 29 E. Oneida St. in Baldwinsville.
Sarah Hall contributed to this report.
