Voters in the Baldwinsville Central School District will head to the polls May 18 to decide on the 2021-22 school budget and select three candidates for the Baldwinsville Board of Education.

Read on to learn more about the budget, the BOE candidates and Election Day details.

Budget highlights

The appropriations for the 2021-22 budget total $114,375,039, which is an increase of 1.88% over the current year’s spending.

The tax rate will be 2.06% more than the current year, meeting the state-mandated tax increase cap. Taxpayers whose homes are assessed at $100,000 can expect to pay $47.94 more in school taxes if there is no change in assessment.

The budget includes a $100,000 capital project for the bleachers at the Baker High School pool.
For more in-depth details about the budget, visit bville.org and click on “Budget” under the “Departments” drop-down menu.

Other propositions

In addition to the budget and school board candidates, voters also will be asked to approve the annual bus purchase and a series of capital improvement projects.
Proposition II asks voters to approve the following for purchase:

• Seven 65-passenger buses: $860,685

• One 54-passenger bus: $149,225

• Three 30-passenger buses: $193,044

Borrowing fees on the bus purchase will be $35,000, and the total maximum cost will be $1,237,954. State aid is expected to cover $990,363 of that total, leaving the local share of the cost at $247,591, or $49,518 per year over five years.

Proposition III is the 2021 capital improvement project, which includes:

• $1,346,600 at Durgee Junior High School: replacement of a broken sanitary line, water heater, interior domestic water line; upgrades/replacement of air handling units, HVAC; addition of Exterior shading devices to mitigate overheating of south-facing classrooms; and new exterior doors/frames at courtyards

• $135,000 at Ray Middle School: site sanitary service upgrade/replacement

• $749,000 at McNamara Elementary: replacement of forced main, sewage ejection; modification of sanitary piping; additional parking

• $672,000 at Reynolds Elementary: replacement of classroom Unit Ventilators and Equipment controls; additional parking and rectification of traffic concerns at entrance

• $910,000 at Palmer Elementary: connect sanitary main from school to town of Lysander sanitary system

The total cost for the improvements laid out in Proposition III is $3,813,200. Building aid is expected to cover 86.4% of the cost. The average annual impact on the tax levy, with 15-year amortization, is $67,137. Taxpayers whose homes are assessed at $100,000 can expect to pay $2.60 annually on this capital project.

BOE candidates

Four candidates are vying for three seats on the school board, each with a term of three years.

The candidates will appear on the ballot in this order:

• Anthony L. Germano

• Tanya Rosado-Barringer

• Frank M. Matus

• Shelly (Michele) Bligh Goeckel

The candidates’ full bios can be found in the budget newsletter.

Voter information

In order to vote in the May 18 election, voters must meet the following criteria:

• 18 years of age or older

• U.S. citizen

• Resident of the Baldwinsville Central School District for 30 days prior to the vote

If you need an absentee ballot, download an application on the district website. Send your completed application to District Clerk Kimberly Vile via email to [email protected] or fax to 315-635-3970. The application deadline is 5 p.m. May 17 for a hand-delivered ballot and 5 p.m. May 11 to receive an absentee ballot by mail. For more information, call 315-638-6055.

Dates and details

The budget public hearing will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 11, at Durgee Junior High School. The hearing also will be livestreamed on bville.org.

District residents will have the opportunity to meet the BOE candidates prior to the budget hearing at 6:30 p.m. May 11.

The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, at the District Operations Building (the former bus garage), located on the BCSD campus at 29 E. Oneida St. in the village of Baldwinsville. The district is asking voters to enter the parking lot on the side of Albert Palmer Lane. There will be signs directing you where to park.