LIVERPOOL — Voters in the North Syracuse and Liverpool school districts will head to the polls May 18 to decide on the 2021-22 school budget and select candidates for their respective boards of education.
Read on to learn more about each district’s budget, BOE candidates and Election Day details.
North Syracuse Central School District
Budget highlights
The appropriations for North Syracuse’s 2021-22 budget total $180,258,175, which is an increase of 4.5% over the current year’s spending.
The proposed school tax levy will be 3.05% more than the current year, meeting the state-mandated tax increase cap. Taxpayers whose homes are assessed at $100,000 can expect to pay $71 more in school taxes.
In crafting the 2021-22 budget, North Syracuse focused on healing some of the social-emotional wounds left by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many of our students have struggled academically over the past year, but the impact of not being in-person full-time has also caused emotional distress,” Superintendent Dan Bowles said in his budget message. “Our budget proposal prioritizes helping students and staff recover in all areas.”
The 2021-22 budget would add two social workers at Cicero-North Syracuse High School, a school counselor at North Syracuse Junior High School, and other staff to support students’ mental health throughout the district.
With the goal of supporting ongoing in-person learning and filling the gaps created by remote learning during the pandemic, the district also plans to add seven Academic Intervention Services teachers, four teachers on special assignment to support elementary and middle schools, and a director of mathematics to coordinate the development of the math curriculum.
The budget also adds a district nurse supervisor to “lead our nursing team and ensure access to a high quality in-school health care system,” said Dr. Christopher Leahey, the district’s associate superintendent for teaching and learning. This position will help the district continue to address COVID-19 and other health issues.
“Throughout this pandemic, our staff have done a tremendous job managing COVID. They have kept us going by wiping down surfaces and taking temperatures, administering COVID tests and feeding our kids,” Leahey said.
Other propositions
In addition to the general budget, voters also will be asked to approve a vehicle purchase proposition and the Salina Free Library proposition.
The vehicle purchase proposition includes:
- Ten 65-passenger gasoline engine school buses
- Two 42-passenger gasoline engine school buses with three wheelchair positions, hydraulic lift and air conditioning
- One bucket loader for use by Maintenance and Operations
- The cost of these vehicles is not to exceed $1,709,850. The projected annual tax impact on a $100,000 home, after state aid, would be $1.73.
Voters also will be asked to approve the Salina Free Library budget, which costs $480,181.
For more in-depth details about the NSCSD budget, visit nscsd.org/budget.
School board candidates
Six candidates are vying for three 3-year terms on the school board and two years of the unexpired term of BOE member Erin McDonald, who passed away in February. The top three vote-getters will be elected to three-year terms, and the candidate who comes in fourth place will fill McDonald’s seat.
In alphabetical order, the candidates are:
- Paul Farfaglia (incumbent)
- Michelle Henry
- Beth Kramer
- Xavier Moody-Wusik
- Nicole Planty
- Mark Thorne (incumbent)
The candidates’ full bios can be found at nscsd.org/budget.
Voter information
In order to vote in the May 18 election, voters must be 18 years of age or older, a U.S. citizen, a resident of the North Syracuse Central School District for 30 days prior to the vote, registered to vote in Onondaga County or the NSCSD, and not under sentence for a felony conviction and not adjudged mentally incompetent.
If you are not registered to vote in the NSCSD, you must pre-register by May 13. Visit the Jerome F. Melvin Administrative Office Building at 5355 W. Taft Road in North Syracuse between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday to register.
If you need an absentee ballot, download an application on the district website at nscsd.org/budget (click on “Voting Information”) or contact District Clerk Connie Gibson at [email protected] or 315-218-2131. The application deadline is 4 p.m. May 11 to receive an absentee ballot by mail. After May 11, you must pick up your absentee ballot in person or designate someone to pick it up for you.
The NSCSD budget public hearing took place May 4, after the Star-Review went to press. The hearing was livestreamed on the district’s YouTube channel, which can be found at http://bit.ly/nscsdyt.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 18. If you have questions about your polling place, contact District Clerk Connie Gibson at [email protected] or 315-218-2131.
Liverpool Central School District
Budget highlights
The appropriations for Liverpool’s 2021-22 budget total $168,363,709, which is an increase of 1.32% over the current year’s spending.
The proposed school tax levy will be 0.86% more than the current year.
In addition to the general budget, voters also will be asked to approve a vehicle purchase proposition and the establishment of a capital reserve fund.
Proposition 2, the bus and vehicle purchase, totals $1,245,293. The proposition includes:
- Eight large school buses: $1,099,456
- One small school bus with air conditioning: $69,737
- One 1-ton extended cab four-wheel drive truck with snowplow: $51,600
- Two 16-18 foot enclosed trailers: $19,500
- Legal costs: $5,000
Proposition 3 asks voters to approve the creation of the “2021 Capital Reserve Fund” so the district can save money for future construction projects and major purchases.
“Money would be added to the capital reserve fund if there is a surplus at the end of the year, and the Board of Education authorizes the funding of the reserve with some or all of the surplus monies. The fund cannot be established or spent without voter approval. The establishment of the fund will not increase taxes,” reads an explanation in the Budget Edition of the LCSD School Bell. “In fact, the eventual use of the capital reserve fund monies will reduce the district’s need to borrow money for future capital projects and maximize the use of state aid.”
For more budget details, visit liverpool.k12.ny.us/budget/2021-2022-information.
School board candidates
Four candidates are vying for three 3-year terms on the school board.
In alphabetical order, the candidates are:
- Hayley Downs
- Joseph Morawski (incumbent)
- Richard Pento (incumbent)
- Katherine Roberts (incumbent)
For the candidates’ full bios, visit liverpool.k12.ny.us/budget/2021-2022-information and click on “Budget Edition of the School Bell.”
Voter information
In order to vote in the May 18 election, voters must be 18 years of age or older, a U.S. citizen, a resident of the Liverpool Central School District for 30 days prior to the vote, registered to vote in Onondaga County or the LCSD.
If you are registered with the Onondaga County Board of Elections but not registered with the school district, you may still vote May 18, but there may be a slight delay at the polls because you will be asked to fill out poll records for the LCSD’s voter file before you are allowed to vote.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, in the former Wetzel Road Elementary main gymnasium.
