On May 21st, voters across the state approved 644 school budgets and defeated 32 - a 95.3% approval rate. Despite this high approval rate many voters were faced with school budgets that contained reductions to educational programs because school districts continue to grapple with the property tax cap and because districts are still feeling the impact of state aid cuts that were enacted in both the 2010-11 school year and the 2011-12 school year. Also, districts that tried to exceed their calculated tax levy limit, meaning they needed a super-majority (60%), did not fare well - of these 28 districts just 7 achieved the required super-majority.
Districts with a defeated budget may resubmit the same budget to the voters, resubmit a revised budget to the voters, or adopt a contingency budget. If a school district chooses to have a budget revote, it must occur on June 18th - the third Tuesday in June. If a second budget proposal is defeated, the district must adopt a contingency budget. Districts that adopt a contingency budget may not increase the tax levy above the previous year's levy - a 0% cap. The following page provides a listing of those districts that had their budget defeated.
The following is a listing of those districts that had their budgets defeated.
2013 Budget Defeats
(by county)
CAYUGA
Moravia*
CHAUTAUQUA
Bemus Point
CHEMUNG
Elmira Heights*
ERIE
Alden
Clarence*
ESSEX
Newcomb*
Minerva*
FRANKLIN
Tupper Lake*
GREENE
Cairo-Durham
JEFFERSON
General Brown*
Sachem*
South Country*
NASSAU
Baldwin*
Manhasset* ULSTER
Marlboro
NIAGARA
Lewiston-Porter*
Niagara-Wheatfield
Wilson
ONEIDA
Remsen
ONONDAGA
North Syracuse*
ORANGE
Cornwall*
Valley-Montgomery*
ROCKLAND
East Ramapo
SCHENECTADY
Niskayuna*
SCHOHARIE
Middleburgh
SENECA
South Seneca*
SUFFOLK
East Quogue*
North Babylon*
WESTCHESTER
Briarcliff Manor*
Elmsford
Mount Vernon
Scarsdale*
* District needed a super-majority (60%) for approval
There were 28 school districts that attempted to override their tax levy limit, meaning the budget proposal required a "super-majority" 60% YES vote in order to be adopted. Of those 28 districts, 7 were successful in reaching that 60% threshold and 21 were defeated. Of the 21 defeated districts, 14 achieved a majority vote (greater than 50%), but failed to reach the 60% threshold. Those 14 districts were: Baldwin, Briarcliff Manor, Cornwall, East Quogue, Elmira Heights, General Brown, Manhasset, Moravia, Newcomb, North Babylon, North Syracuse, Sachem, South Country, and South Seneca.