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Annual District Meeting (a.k.a. Budget Vote)

The Annual District Meeting will be held May 17, 2011 from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. Registered school district voters are strongly encouraged to participate in the district meeting by voting in the election. Voting on Budget and Transportation propositions and trustee election will take place in Room 105 of the Middle School, and parking will be available in the upper (bell) parking lot. Absentee ballots are due no later than 5:00 pm in the District Office. 


The Board of Education trustees and Superintendent Villanti will convene at 8:00 pm in the Music Room. This meeting will follow the Fine Arts Recognition, "An Evening of Rising Stars," in the small gym. Both functions are open to the public.


A highlight item on the draft agenda is the appointment of Brent Harrington as incoming Elementary/Middle School Principal. Mr. Harrington will replace Principal Maggie Davis after her retirement in June. 


The meeting in the Music Room will remain open until the District Clerk verifies the results of the election and reports to the Board following the closing of the polls, some time after 9:00 pm.

Letter to the Editor

Blogger Note: the following is a letter to the editor at the PCNR. The author, Elizabeth Edelson, has kindly allowed the PTA BOE blog to republish it here.

May 7, 2011

Mr. Douglas Cunningham

Editor in Chief

Putnam County News & Recorder

144 Main Street

Cold Spring, NY 10516

To the Editor:

I write in support of the Haldane Board of Education’s proposed budget for 2011-2012. As a taxpayer and resident, I appreciate that the Board has put forth a budget that increases by less than 1%, applies reserves to reduce the tax rate, and ‘tightens the belt’ for future years. As a new Haldane parent, I am grateful for a budget that maintains the high caliber of education that is so critical for this community’s young people.

This can’t have been an easy task. In this tough economy, school districts are facing both reductions in aid from New York State AND skyrocketing pension costs for their employees. (Those pension rates are assessed by the state, and districts have no control over setting rates.) Most school districts have responded to these twin challenges by cutting jobs – eliminating positions that will have a direct impact on the quality of education they can provide.

I commend the Haldane administration and the BOE for putting together a responsible budget plan that manages to preserve the educational program.   Please vote to approve this budget on May 17^th.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Edelson

READ: Regional Education Advocacy District

Who is actually looking at skyrocketing property tax? Unfunded mandates? Unsustainable education costs? Check out READ: Regional Education Advocacy District. Go to the READ website to see what it has been up to since 2004.

May 17 is Budget Vote Day!

After two public hearings and a couple of mailings, the Haldane School Board of Education is prepared to ask the public if it can support Proposition 1 (budget) and Proposition 2 ($100K for school vehicles) in 2011–12. There is also one trustee seat that expires this year, and Dave Merandy is running unopposed.
The District faces significant cuts to state aid, coupled with rising fuel and employee costs, and still manages to propose a spending plan that is less than 1% over last year's budget. To achieve this, Haldane will be using fund balance and reserves to help offset cost increases. Haldane employees will keep their jobs, and for now, no programs will need to be cut. 
Proposition 2, school vehicles, will allow the District to spend up to $100K for buses or vans. Discussion has already taken place at School Board meetings about the urgent need for a wheelchair-accessible van in the school fleet. Vehicle replacement will be an ongoing concern for Haldane as some of the roads in the district are dirt and are heavily salted in the winter, which reduces the life span of our vehicles. 
Voter registration for school district elections will take place on Tuesday, May 10 from 4:00 to 8:00 pm in the Middle School Lobby, and absentee ballots and applications are available now in the District Office. 
Election Day is May 17, 2011. Vote from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm in Room 105 in the Middle School. Parking will be available in the upper (bell) parking lot.