Voters in New York will go to the polls Tuesday to consider school budget proposals and candidates for their school boards.
The average percentage increase in proposed spending for districts in Erie and Niagara counties is 5.9%, while the average percentage increase proposed for tax levies – the amount to be raised through property taxes – is 2%. None of the 38 districts is proposing budgets that would go over their tax caps, which would have required that 60% of voters approve the budget instead of a simple majority.
Voters also will pick school board members. There are contested races in 25 of the 38 districts.
Following is information on the proposed budgets, tax levies, propositions and candidate elections in suburban and small city school districts in Erie and Niagara counties.
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Proposed budget: $36,221,866, up 4.29%
Proposed tax levy: $10,270,070, up 1%
Proposition 2: To spend up to $507,000 to buy buses and transportation equipment.
Proposition 3: To establish a capital improvement and transportation reserve fund.
Proposition 4: To spend $29.82 million on a capital project for renovations and upgrades, including a new athletic complex with a multisport synthetic turf.
Candidates (Elect 2): Melissa Siska, Diane Snyder, David Miller, Joseph Cena, Paul Vohwinkel, Stephanie Coffta, Joshua Blasko
Proposed budget: $38,787,717, up 2.92%
Proposed tax levy: $16,929,781, up 2.9%
Proposition 2: To spend $605,000 to buy five buses.
Proposition 3: To establish a capital reserve fund.
Proposition 4: To spend $78,000 from the Buildings and Grounds Equipment Capital Reserve to buy equipment.
Candidates (Elect 1): Maciej “Mike” Kaczynski
Proposed budget: $75,538,000, up 10.6%
Proposed tax levy: $39,466,028, up 2.02%
Candidates (Elect 2): Jessica McLaughlin (i), Maryjane Metzen, Collin Bishop
Proposed budget: $58,799,819, up 9.58%
Proposed tax levy: $27,186,597, up 2.02%
Proposition 2: To create a non-voting School Board seat for a student.
Candidates (Elect 1): Marc Kotarski, Caleb Harte
Proposed budget: $93,158,345, up 4.39%
Proposed tax levy: $55,638,216, up 3.2%
Proposition 2: To spend up to $931,000 to buy buses.
Proposition 3: To establish a capital reserve fund.
Candidates (Elect 3): Tricia Andrews (i), Cindy Magera, Cybil Robbins, Dawn Snyder (i)
Proposed budget: $38,850,677, up 9.58%
Proposed tax levy: $13,352,911, up 1.8%
Proposition 2: To establish a capital improvements reserve fund.
Candidates (Elect 1): Julie McNeil (i)
Proposed budget: $51,542,003, up 3.62%
Proposed tax levy: $19,851,703, up 2.07%
Proposition 2: To spend $629,303 from the capital reserve to buy three buses.
Proposition 3: To spend $25,000 to buy five parcels of land for additional athletic and community play areas to the west of the current tennis courts at 5161 Transit Road.
Proposition 4: To approve a nonvoting student seat on the School Board.
Candidates (Elect 2): Amy Doody (i), Nicholas LaMarca (i)
Proposed budget: $43,802,762, up 6.07%
Proposed tax levy: $26,002,683, up 2.74%
Proposition 2: To spend $75,000 from a reserve account to buy computer equipment.
Candidates (Elect 3): Jessica B. Armbrust (i), Daniel Brunson (i), Victoria Parker, D. Paul Blowers (i)
Proposed budget: $36,409,963, up 7.61%
Proposed tax levy: $15,769,751, up 2%
Proposition 2: To spend $788,564 from capital reserve fund to buy buses and construction and maintenance equipment.
Candidates (Elect 2): Cheryl Carpenter (i), Allan E. Silver
Proposed budget: $102,237,308, up 5.76%
Proposed tax levy: $46,065,598, up 2.81%
Proposition 2: To spend up to $765,245 to buy buses and transportation vehicles.
Proposition 3: To establish a capital improvements reserve fund.
Candidates (Elect 2): John Kilcoyne (i), Erin Oliver, Tiffany (Lock) Tangel, Jim Voto
Proposed budget: $73,727,888, up 5.02%
Proposed tax levy: $39,594,648, up 3.33%
Proposition 2: To spend up to $675,000 to buy buses.
Proposition 3: To establish a capital improvements reserve fund.
Candidates (Elect 2): Jennifer Chin, Andrew Grinchishin, Ashli Dreher (i), Susan Marston (i)
Proposed budget: $36,417,812, up 6.45%
Proposed tax levy: $5,305,951, up 1%
Proposition 2: To spend up to $300,822.50 to buy two buses.
Proposition 3: To increase the amount in the transportation reserve fund.
Proposition 4: To increase the budget of Gowanda Free Library by $1,000 to $59,000.
Candidates (Elect 2): Zachary C. Nobles and Mark D. Nephew (i)
Proposed budget: $83,348,173, up 4.22%
Proposed tax levy: $41,742,143, up 3.53%
Candidates (Elect 2): Thomas Flynn (i), Cameron Hall (i)
Proposed budget: $22,550,025, up 4.85%
Proposed tax levy: $8,424,381, up 3.08%
Proposition 2: To spend $379,520 to buy two buses and a box truck.
Candidates (Elect): Michele Weaver, Paula Leach (i), Andrew Stang
Proposed budget: $56,898,897, up 3.48%
Proposed tax levy: $33,407,383, up 2.84%
Proposition 2: To spend up to $733,378 to purchase buses.
Proposition 3: To transfer up to $450,000 to the repair reserve fund.
Candidates (Elect 2): Heather Becker, Keith Vergien
Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda
Proposed budget: $186,035,715, up 5.41%
Proposed tax levy: $93,331,100, up 2.68%
Proposition 2: To spend $1.6 million to buy 10 school buses.
Proposition 3: To rename the Kenmore West High School natatorium after former Varsity Coach Robert Pufpaff.
Candidates (Elect 2): Karen Whitelaw, Lee Ann Vogt
Proposed budget: $72,503,705, up 11.17%
Proposed tax levy: $9,748,197, no change
Proposition 2: To establish a capital reserve fund.
Candidates (Elect 2): Leonard Kowalski (i), Raymond Braxton, Anthony Catuzza (i), Robert Kita, Thelma Glover, Mohammed Shawish
Proposed budget: $64,484,689, up 5.69%
Proposed tax levy: $19,182,388, up 1.95%
Proposition 2: To spend $545,910 to buy one gas and one electric bus.
Proposition 3: To spend $59.5 million on a capital project addressing safety, security and infrastructure.
Candidates (Elect 2): Kristin Bauer (i), Justin Nephew, Michael Franey (i), Megan Smaldino
Proposed budget: $130,704,018, up 6.9%
Proposed tax levy: $61,232,869, up 3.31%
Proposition 2: To spend $1.1 million to buy seven buses.
Candidates (Elect 3): Glenn Jackson (i), Dan Romig, Tara Romig, Michael Sage (i), Laura Sproull, Timothy Talbot
Proposed budget: $55,718,059, up 5.96%
Proposed tax levy: $22,901,936, up 1.55%
Proposition 2: To increase the total of the 2021 capital project by $6.7 million to $36.25 million.
Proposition 3: To establish a capital improvements reserve fund.
Candidates (Elect 1): Jason Baier, Marie Zimmer
Proposed budget: $17,618,077, up 5.03%
Proposed tax levy: $5,930,100, up 2.99%
Proposition 2: To spend up to $390,000 to buy buses.
Proposition 3: To establish a capital improvements reserve fund.
Candidates (Elect 1): Michelle DeCarlo (i)
Proposed budget: $119,841,10, up 4.52%
Proposed tax levy: $69,826,734, no change
Proposition 2: To spend $1.66 million to purchase 12 buses.
Proposition 3: To authorize a student to serve as a nonvoting member of the School Board.
Candidates (Elect 3): Steven Barlette, Ed Draves, Steven Comeau, Jennifer Rogers (i), Bobby Wellington, Katherine Ibarra
Proposed budget: $40,373,761, up 5.82%
Proposed tax levy: $15,538,040, up 0.46%
Proposition 2: To allow a student to serve as a nonvoting member of the School Board.
Proposition 3: To spend $8.5 million on capital improvements.
Proposition 4: To establish a capital improvement reserve fund.
Candidates (Elect 2): Claire M. Ferrucci (i), Gary H. Sieczkarek (i), James R. Stachewicz
Springville Griffith Institute
Proposed budget: $44,765,446, up 3.09%
Proposed tax levy: $18,791,269, up 2.49%
Proposition 2: To spend up to $726,506 to buy six buses.
Proposition 3: To establish a machinery, vehicle and equipment reserve fund.
Candidates (Elect 3): Chris Cerrone (i), Kelly Tuberdyke, Katelyn Ziemba, Jessica Schuster (i)
Proposed budget: $96,886,588, up 8.43%
Proposed tax levy: $53,321,588, no change
Candidates (Elect 1): Dawn Iverson, Brandon Beckinghausen, Scott Johnson (i)
Proposed budget: $41,976,098, up 9.87%
Proposed tax levy: $13,384,538, up 4.16%
Proposition 2: To sell Mullen Elementary School, 130 Syracuse St., to Child & Family Services of Erie County for $850,000.
Candidates (Elect 3): Kristin Schmutzler (i), Jeff Thorp (i), Linsey Neal
Proposed budget: $147,816,452, up 6.59%
Proposed tax levy: $68,631,182, up 2.48%
Proposition 2: To spend $983,000 to buy eight buses.
Candidates (Elect 3): Lorene Barulich, Laura Sokol-Scott, John Barrett, Jennifer Kus, Frank Zappia, Sandra Magnano, Trek Fulater, Sarah Piwowarczyk
Proposed budget: $223,388,003, up 5.11%
Proposed tax levy: $139,945,000, up 2%
Candidates (Elect 4): Dr. Saquib Ahmed, Michael Buscaglia (i), Endell J. Osuna, Jonathan Rich, Crystal Kaczmarek-Bogner (i), Mark A. Manna, Melissa Rowland, Philip G. Danielson, Brianne Williams, Kerry L. Spicer, Dr. Susan D. McClary (i), Kayliee Bertrand-Henretta, Michael A. Heflin, Jason M. Miller
Proposed budget: $18,195,652, up 2.12%
Proposed tax levy: $5,099,931, up 2%
Proposition 2: To spend up to $200,000 to renovate the Yorker House on Quaker Road or to spend up to $50,000 to remove the Yorker House.
Proposition 3: To combine capital reserve funds into one new capital improvements reserve fund.
Proposition 4: To increase the Barker Public Library levy to $82,806, up 2%.
Candidates (Elect 2): Emily Gow (i), John E. Sweeney, Jr.(i)
Barker Library trustee candidates (Elect 3:) Kathie Smith (i), Ashley Grabowski (i), Jessica Monaco (i)
Proposed budget: $54,593,312, up 2.78%
Proposed tax levy: $29,608,316, up 2.65%
Candidates (Elect 3): Danielle M. Mullen (i), Jack G. Waugaman III, Joseph J. Palermo
Proposed budget: $123,267,436, up 8.31%
Proposed tax levy: $42,147,459, up 1.56%
Proposition 2: To establish a child safety zone around Emmet Belknap Intermediate School for bus transportation at a cost of $72,971.
Proposition 3: To establish a child safety zone around Lockport High School, Lockport High School West, Emmet Belknap Intermediate School and Roy B. Kelly Elementary School for bus transportation at a cost of $164,257.
Candidates (Elect 3): Renee G. Cheatham (i), Alex Lamont, Teria A. Young, Shannon A. Patterson, Geneva Johnson, Thomas J. Gray, Joseph J. Runfola, II
Proposed budget: $39,792,133, up 8.36%
Proposed tax levy: $14,029,883, up 1%
Proposition 2: To establish a new capital improvements reserve fund.
Candidates (Elect 2): Santo Tomasine (i), Melinda Bower, Emma Oudette, Cameron Seib
Proposed budget: $181,504,208, up 10.07%
Proposed tax levy: $25,828,989, no change
Candidates (Elect 2): Beverly Callen, Michael Capizzi Jr. (i), Deborah Hicks, Portland Jackson, Anthony Paretto (i)
Proposed budget: $84,470,329, up 5.82%
Proposed tax levy: $36,184,633, up 2.18%
Proposition 2: To spend up to $947,000 from transportation reserve funds to buy buses and other vehicles.
Proposition 3: To spend up to $325,000 from the technology reserve fund for equipment.
Proposition 4: To establish a transportation capital reserve fund.
Proposition 5: To establish a technology reserve fund.
Candidates (Elect 3): John Forcucci (i), Micheal Lee (i), Jason Myers (i), Hugh Burnam
Proposed budget: $85,120,000, up 1.87%
Proposed tax levy: $30,127,000, up 1.4%
Candidates (Elect 2): Matthew Kennedy (i), Peter Chenier Jr. (i)
Proposed budget: $30,411,403, up 3.92%
Proposed tax levy: $11,098,964, no change
Proposition 2: To create a capital improvements reserve fund.
Proposition 3: To raise the annual tax levy of Royalton Hartland Community Library from $115,000 to $118,000.
Candidates (Elect 3): Nicholas Mark, Jeffrey Waters (i), Carol Blumrick (i), Brian Sullivan
Proposed budget: $64,954,038, up 5.4%
Proposed tax levy: $33,353,311, up 3.98%
Candidates (Elect 3): Jennifer Argentieri, Jeffrey D. Duncan (i), Christen Haseley, Lisa Kankolenski, Brian LaPlante, Shawn P. Riester (i), Kelley A. Swann(i)
Proposed budget: $29,207,015, up 2.32%
Proposed tax levy: $13,019,927, up 2.6%
Candidates (Elect 3): Nathan Wass, R.J. Seager (i), Timothy F. Kropp (i)
