By JOHN ANDERSON
There are some years a school has one thing to vote on, a budget. For the Wellsville Central School District on Tuesday night, there was the budget, voting on purchasing two school busses, the money to the library and a reserve fund of $5 million for a capital improvement project.
The 2023-2024 school budget passed, 312-118 and the proposition for the school busses passed 316-112. The $9,400 for the David A. Howe library passed, 313-116 and the reserve fund vote passed, 36-108.
In the race to pick two people to serve on the board of education, newcomer Kathleen Murphy received 264 votes, current BOE president Alan Mosher received 247. Incumbent Kristopher Green received 245 votes.
One reason the budget and propositions may have passed with ease was communication between the school and community. The minutes explaining the vote were posted on the school website and media reported on the February meeting.
Wellsville School Business Executive Emily Peavy appeared on the 103.5 Newsmakers show with Bob Mangels and explained the budget and propositions. Peavey also had a public presentation at a board meeting with the press in attendance on the debt service, tax cap, and propositions for budget vote.
Nate Piscitelli (a Wellsville graduate) of the architecture firm Clark, Patterson and Lee, gave a presentation to the public and the board as well on the capital improvement project.
During the February meeting, Megan Burdick was appointed administrative assistant for the district and serves as board of education clerk. In her first election, which had a close race for board seats, despite 65 absentee votes, Burdick had all results sent to the media within an hour of the polls closing.
Here is a look at what was approved:
PROPOSITION NO. 2 RESOLVED that the Board of Education of the Wellsville Central School District No. 1 of the County of Allegany, is hereby authorized and directed to purchase two (2) 70 passenger conventional buses at a total maximum cost of $343,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary to be raised by taxes on the taxable property of the said school district and to issue obligations of the school district, therefore, in accordance with the education law and local finance law.
PROPOSITION NO. 3 RESOLVED that the Board of Education of the Wellsville Central School District No. 1 of the County of Allegany, is hereby authorized and directed to increase the annual tax levy an additional $9,498 and to pay over such funds to the trustees of the David A. Howe Public Library.
PROPOSITION NO. 4 BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Education of the Wellsville Central School District No. 1 of the County of Allegany, is hereby authorized and directed to:
a. establish a reserve fund pursuant to Education Law Section 3651 to be known as the “General Purpose Capital Reserve Fund-2023” for the purpose of financing, in whole or in part, additions, alterations, renovations or other improvements to existing District’s buildings and facilities, construction of new buildings or facilities or the acquisition of lands or interests in lands for District purposes, including the construction, reconstruction or improvement of playgrounds, athletic fields, recreation areas, parking areas, roadways, sidewalks and other site improvements connected to such buildings and facilities and the acquisition and installation of machinery, equipment, apparatus or furnishings required for the purposes thereof, with the ultimate amount of such reserve fund not exceeding five million dollars ($5,000,000), plus any accrued earnings on amounts deposited in such reserve fund, the probable existence of said reserve fund being fifteen (15) years, but said reserve fund to continue in existence for its stated purpose until liquidated in accordance with the Education Law, and the sources from which funds shall be obtained for said reserve fund being (i) current and future unappropriated fund balances from the General Fund of the District, as directed by the Board of Education, (ii) appropriations authorized by the voters from time to time, (iii) fund balances transferred from other reserve funds of the District as may be authorized by the Board of Education or by the voters of the District from time to time in accordance with applicable State law, and (iv) state aid, as directed by the Board of Education from time to time.
b. transfer to said capital reserve fund the entire balance on deposit in said District’s existing “General Purpose Capital Reserve Fund-2019” established pursuant to Education Law Section 3651 pursuant to a proposition approved by the qualified voters of said District on May 21.
