New Rochelle School Budget Faces Vote Tuesday

The polls will be open Tuesday, May 21, at 7 a.m. for New Rochelle voters to decide whether or not to approve a $239.5 million budget for the 2013-14 school year.

Voting will take place until 9 p.m. Your polling place can be found on the mailing label section of the district's budget mailer. Call the district office at 914-576-4219 for your polling place if you are unsure where it is. 

The proposed budget is 2.27 percent larger than the 2012-13 budget—or $5.3 million. The board of education voted to adopt the budget with the maximum tax levy increase allowable by law—3.18 percent.

The levy increase represents a tax rate increase estimated to be 4.53 percent. The actual tax rate will be determined in the fall.

Major factors affecting the budget this year, according to information from the district, are increases in state mandated pension costs of $5.8 million, and reductions in utility tax collections of $770,000 and the use of the fund balance—$1.3 million.

District spokesman Paul Costiglo said that in an effort to keep class sizes favorable, a section each was added in both grades two and three at Ward Elementary School, which allows for two probationary teachers to continue their probationary assignments instead of otherwise becoming leave replacements. 

"The reason why we are doing this now is because adding these new sections will also allow us a cushion to add a few more students that could come through over the summer via the Lincoln district," he said. "Those families often designate Ward as their first choice."

Also on the ballot will be the selection of a new member of the school board. Voters will be asked to choose between Robert Cox and Pamela Davis. For information on that race, click here.

The budget for the New Rochelle Public Library will also be voted on. 

For 2013-14, the total library budget is proposed to increase 4.2 percent over 2012-13 to $4,656,755. That results in a tax levy increase of 3.99 percent, up from 2.20 percent in 2012-13. The average homeowner could see an annual increase in library taxes of $10.79.

There are two members of the library's board of trustees running unopposed for re-election for two five-year terms: Quentin Jacobs and Bo Kemp.

For more on the library budget, click here.