New Yorkers once again showed overwhelming support for their local public schools during the school budget revote on June 16.
After 96 percent of school budgets passed in May, 29 districts were forced to go back to voters with updated budget proposals in June. Of those, 82 percent passed, including high-stakes budget votes in Mount Vernon, Locust Valley, Prattsburgh, Bayport-Blue Point, Ogdensburg, AuSable Valley, New Lebanon, and South Country Central School District.
NYSUT was actively engaged with locals to help push their budgets across the finish line, and members at these districts put in the hard work, making calls, canvassing, and sending targeted mailers to voters.
After their initial budget failed, the Locust Valley School Employees Association increased its advocacy efforts during the revote campaign. The local sent two pieces of mail, made thousands of phone calls, and placed digital ads encouraging the community to support the contingency budget. The budget passed in June.
In the Southern Tier, Prattsburgh’s initial budget proposal, which represented a 40 percent increase, failed by single digits. As part of the revote effort, the Prattsburgh Teachers Association sent mail to the community, mobilized members to make phone calls and sent texts. The budget passed 496 to 279.
Bayport-Blue Point was one of many districts that attempted to pierce the tax cap in May and again in June. The Local connected directly with more than 500 members to encourage them to vote, and they canvassed for the first time since 1976. They also engaged in a robust communications campaign, which included digital ads and direct mail. The local supplemented its outreach with digital ads, and direct mail. Their hard work paid off – the budget was approved by 69 percent of the voters.
Two locals in the North Country also faced challenging budget revotes. Ogdensburg’s original budget was under the tax cap but unexpectedly failed. The Ogdensburg TA mobilized members through phone banking, door-to-door canvassing, and mailers. As a result, the turnout for the second vote was twice as many as the first time around, and the budget passed. After AuSable Valley’s first budget, which superseded the tax cap, went down, the district revised their proposal, setting the new budget below the tax cap. The AuSable Valley TA got more people to turn out for the second election by making phone calls and engaging community leaders. The new budget passed.
Overall, only five school budgets failed across New York; those districts were forced to adopt contingency budgets.
“We’re grateful to the New Yorkers who continue to believe in the promise of public education — and in the educators, school staff and families who make that promise real every day,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person.