Schoharie, M'burgh Budgets Pass; Rosenthal, Bruno Win SCS Seats

By David Avtabile

SCHOHARIE VALLEY - Middleburgh and Schoharie school districts voters approved 2024-25 budgets and each elected two board members to the school board in Tuesday voting.

SCHOHARIE

* Budget for 2024-25, $27,623,921, Yes: 244 No: 128,

* School Bus Purchases: Yes: 259 No: 113.

* $146,000 Library Tax Levy: Yes: 255 No: 117.

* Capital Reserve Fund: Yes: 255 No: 117.

* Establishment of Bus Purchase Capital Reserve Fund: Yes: 250 No: 122.

* School Board Candidates, two elected for three-year term: Laura Rosenthal – 228 Votes 2. Bradford Bruno – 201 Votes Candidates not elected: Steven Underwood - 126 Votes Lynda Lewandowski - 124 Votes.

MIDDLEBURGH

On Tuesday MCS residents approved a $24,900,000 budget for the 2024-25 school year by a margin of 69.9% in favor to 30.1% opposed. The tally includes absentee ballots. The budget increases spending by 2.42%, or $587,510 from the current year, and includes a tax levy increase of $153,836 or 1.50%. Since the tax levy increase (the total amount of money to be raised through property taxes) is less than the district’s maximum allowable levy limit of 2.01%, the proposed budget needed only a simple majority vote to be approved.

Pamela Standhart and Becky Binder were re-elected to a three-year seat on the Middleburgh Board of Education.

Additional propositions:

* Middleburgh residents approved a proposition for the purchase of three, 65-passenger diesel buses not to exceed $488,000.

* Voters approved the proposal of a 10-year Bus and Vehicle Reserve fund not to exceed $2 million. This reserve will allow the district to prepare for the purchase or acquisition of school buses and charging stations that meet the NY State legislature’s goal of having a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035.

* Voters approved the proposition to allocate up to $200,000 from the 2023-2024 unappropriated fund balance to the Repair Reserve Fund.

"We are grateful to the Middleburgh community for their continuing support of MCS and the programs that we offer to our students,” said Superintendent Mark Place.