By fewer than 100 votes, residents approved a budget that shrank the Southern Cayuga Central School District by nearly a dozen positions, including seven lay-offs, and expanded the pre-kindergarten program.

The budget passed Tuesday 356 to 262. The plan has the special education department shouldering the biggest difference, with five fewer teacher aids - the bulk of the lay-offs - and two fewer teachers.

District official will reorganize schedules to cover an instructor's math classes and an elementary teacher's load because their positions will not be filled after their resignations. Five members of the board gave their nod for the budget in April, and two voted against the plan.

Voter Suzanne O'Hara voted the budget down. She and her husband own the Finger Lakes Woolen Mill in Genoa.

“The population is decreasing and we're asked to spend more and more each year,” O'Hara said.

“The taxes on the farm keep going up. Usually I'm for stronger education but I think it's time to re-evaluate our spending.”

Like O'Hara, more than 42 percent of voters shot down the budget, which Board of Education President Ted Rejman and Superintendent Mary Kay Worth repeatedly referred to as a “responsible” effort.

The district's proposal to buy buses for as much as $395,000 passed 353-234.

Jane Bates, who retired from the Center for Environmental Research at Cornell University in 1985, said she didn't know much about the budget's details.

While she doesn't have any children in the district, she wanted to make sure the “children of this district to have good opportunities.”

Worth and most of the board members felt the same way and tried to keep the extracurricular activities available to the students, despite cuts in a 5 p.m. bus route.

The board will keep both incumbents.

James Wilcox, who earned 533 votes, and Rejman, who earned 429, will return for another term each.

Teresa Reeves will be the new face among the seven members. She earned 473 votes.

The social worker at George Junior Republic said she wanted to ensure the closeness and familiarity the schools offer so students don't get lost in the shuffle like she did while attending a large high school.

“We're doing good things and we'll continue to do more. I look forward to working with the new board,” Rejman said.

Joe Lonsky lost his bid for a seat by 86 votes.

“I guess they had a lot of the seniors voting, they had them lined up around the polls, but again, they had (the voting booths) on school grounds. Having it where every other election is held, in town halls, would have brought out more regular people and the people directly associated with the schools would have had to go out of their way,” Lonsky said.

Although he didn't receive his bid for a school board, he said he's pleased he raised some questions and did receive as many votes as he did.

“I just wanted to bring some light to certain issues, but the people in Southern Cayuga aren't ready to make the hard choices ... they will have to bite the bullet when it comes,” Lonsky said.

Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311 ext 267 or

jessica.soule@lee.net