Voters in three local school districts will soon get a final say in the running of their respective school districts when they go to the polls next week.

After defeating budgets from the Auburn Enlarged City School District, Jordan-Elbridge Central School District and Southern Cayuga Central School District May 20, voters will be asked to deliver another verdict Tuesday when polls open for a state-wide budget re-vote.

Districts whose budgets failed had the option of putting its original budget up for a re-vote, amending the budget or going directly into a contingency budget, which caps spending at a certain percentage increase. Should the budgets fail again, districts will immediately go into a state-mandated contingency plan.

In the case of Auburn, whose budget failed by just three votes, officials quickly decided to put the original budget up for a re-vote, saying the budget is fiscally responsible - it has the lowest tax levy increase in five years - and educationally sound - it maintains all current programs and instructional staff levels. Adding a custodian position is the only change in the budget beyond increases in contractual matters, fuel and fringe benefits.

Shelving a proposed capital project for a date to be determined, the district engaged in marketing strategies over the last month to promote the budget, from talking with senior citizens to reminding voters at district events to come out and vote.

What direction the board of education should take was not as clear for the Jordan-Elbridge board. After seeing its budget defeated by a 200-vote margin, board members deliberately considered each of the options.

Even though residents approached the board with petitions asking for a re-vote, the board said the defeat was a mandate from the public to reduce spending. Over the course of several meetings, it chopped $189,000 from the original budget and moved $11,000 from the designated fund balance to off-set the tax levy.

Similar to Auburn, Jordan-Elbridge postponed its capital project vote to a date to be determined. There is no money or proposition regarding any proposed capital project in either district's budgets.

Southern Cayuga had a little more trouble reducing the burden on taxpayers even after proposing extensive spending cuts - some of which generated passionate outcries from the public as being too drastic - in light of voters defeating the original budget 413-378.

Shortly after adopting the first budget in April, the board discovered that the district owes the state about $400,000 for building projects since 2002. While the district will not be paying the whole debt in one lump sum, paying back the $182,196 the district owes next year alone threatened to raise the tax levy higher than originally proposed in the defeated budget.

With the help of state Sen. Michael F. Nozzolio and Cayuga-Onondaga Board of Cooperative Educational Services Superintendent Bill Speck, the state Education Department gave “reasonable assurance” that $150,000 of money the state owes the district stemming from the latter half of the 1990s would be given back to the district to off-set the tax levy.

When voters go to the polls June 17, they will be voting only on the budget. There will be no other propositions on the ballot.

To vote for the budget in Southern Cayuga and Jordan-Elbridge, voters must be 18 years or older, a citizen of the United States and a resident of the school district for at least 30 days preceding the vote. The same holds true for Auburn with the additional regulation that voters must be registered in the state in order to be eligible.

Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net

Auburn Enlarged City School District

Polling: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Casey Park, Owasco and Seward elementary schools and East and West middle schools depending on residence

Proposed budget: $66,490,371, +4.91 percent

Estimated tax levy: $26,037,483, +3.28 percent

What's included:

€ Maintains all programs and instructional staff

€ Addition of one custodian

€ Does NOT include any money or propositions regarding the postponed capital project

The board of education opted to put the same budget proposal that was defeated up for a re-vote.

Contingency budget: $65,896,428, + 3.97 percent

Estimated tax levy: $25,443,540, +2.28 percent

Budget message from the board of education president:

In this writer's opinion, the annual school budget vote is not about the kids.

On the contrary, it is a critical measure of our community's continuing commitment to universal public education - education that is “for all the children of all the people,” and was foreseen by the Founders, notably John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, as absolutely essential for the success of American democracy.

I find no substance behind the “failing schools” accusations I see in the press and in rants on local Internet blogs. In recent years, our schools' performance levels improved, and graduation rates stabilized, even as the tax levy trended downward. During four months of intense review, the board and administration reduced this budget by over $600,000. 3.28 percent is the lowest tax increase in five years. Under this budget, school taxes for the majority of Auburn homeowners will increase about $3.00 per month.

In this writer's opinion, this additional tax burden is fair and suitable, especially for something so important. As a Vietnam veteran and a tax-paying retiree, I do not believe we can maintain our important institutions, much less improve them, without some personal sacrifice.

Auburn Memorial Hospital reorganized, and improved its revenues with various increases in fees, because its board of directors saw that institution as essential to the quality of life and future growth of Auburn. The City of Auburn recently saw its credit rating raised, while also undertaking major infrastructure improvements and fee increases. A high quality public school system is equally important. Like these other Auburn institutions, it cannot grow and improve without our support.

This is not to say that the schools are without serious challenges. In the past decade, the performance standards imposed by state and federal authorities were dramatically increased, with little or no additional financial support to implement them.

First, Congress authorized strict new learning standards in the No Child Left Behind laws. Along with national standards, this landmark legislation promised substantial additional federal funding. However, it has never fully materialized, and probably will not, given the current economy. Yet the regulations still stand.

Second, while the state Education Department imposed ever more rigorous course requirements and standardized tests, the legislature did not provide matching increases in education aid. In fact, a state court determined that New York education funding is both insufficient and unfairly distributed. The unfairness of the distribution formula especially burdens small cities like Auburn

The property tax, which traditionally has been the backbone of school financing, is increasingly seen as an antiquated and inadequate source for financing schools. Local school boards cannot change this. That is Albany's job. Voting against this school budget to “send a message to Albany” will do nothing to resolve the crisis at the state level. Nor will it affect federal aid. Voting next November might do both. Meanwhile, I urge you to vote on Tuesday to continue Auburn's long-standing, responsible commitment to our schools, the most important public service in our great American democracy.

- David Lansford,

BOE president, Auburn Enlarged City School District

Southern Cayuga Central School District

Polling: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m Tuesday at the planetarium.

Defeated budget: $16,448,192, +3.37 percent

Estimated tax levy: $6,787,520, +5.24 percent

Revised budget: $16,373,330, +2.9 percent

Estimated tax levy: $6,738,354, +4.47 percent

What's included in revised

budget:

€ Corrects a portion of revenues from state aid audits for building projects since 2002 that were unknown at the time of the budget adoption.

€ Restores a music position from 0.5 to 1 full-time equivalent.

€ Keeps four sections of third grade.

€ Keeps the school resource officer.

€ Keeps a new broadcast journalism class.

€ Keeps two nurses at the middle school and high school.

€ Reduction of $40,000 to athletics ($20,000 reduction in first budget, $20,000 reduction in revised budget). Junior varsity age students will play modified where enrollment will not field a team.

€ Eliminates the kindergarten through fifth grade summer enrichment program.

€ Does not fill a math position.

€ Requires all students taking driver's education to pay

€ Leaves fifth and sixth grade at Poplar Ridge campus

€ Retains current administration

Contingency budget: $16,437,429, +3.30 percent

Estimated tax levy: $6,802,453, + 5.47 percent

Budget message from the board of education president:

Voters of the SCCS District,

On June 17, you will be asked to vote again on a revised budget for the SCCS District. The BOE (by consensus) has worked hard at developing a responsible budget to bring to you. During the presentations the second time around many valid questions were asked of the BOE and were instrumental in the BOE#,s ability to concur on its final budget.

During the past year, by way of adjusting policies that deal with finances, there was a significant savings realized in the current budget. Most of that savings was brought forward to help offset the increases in the new budget for next year. Our business manager has done a spectacular job in monitoring your money and continues to look at ways to do things differently.

During the presentations of late, you heard of the audits going back to 2002 and how it negatively impacted our district by way of overpayment of bonds during construction phases and now they would like their money back. You also heard of the money they owe SCCS and how through the efforts of our legislators, local administrators and key people in the state Education Department we were successful in getting the state to obligate itself to a repayment of $150,000 of the money it owes us during the coming year which will go towards further reduction of the tax levy. Efforts are still under way in the handling of the money we owe the state by stretching the payments out over more years with no interest.

A concern that was heard at many levels was busing. We all are feeling the strain of increased energy costs and because of its impact on all of us, a lot of discussion occurred in regards to going to a single bus run. The immediate focus would naturally be the suspected savings in fuel. However, it is more complicated than that. After comparisons to other districts of similar size, mileage, and number of students the results were that we at SCCS are currently doing a better job financially in the way we deliver your children to school. This does not mean that we stop looking at this issue. We have a new transportation manager in place and you will be seeing changes in the coming year that will result in further savings to the district, not only financially, but also in safety. A key piece in the discussion of this topic is safety of your children. The world we live in today is not the world that many of us older folk remember. Times have changed and we need to change with them; however, we cannot sacrifice the safety of our children in the process.

I cannot ask you to vote for the budget and I cannot ask you to vote against it. However, I can ask you to vote. I can ask you to vote your conscience knowing that your BOE has worked many long hours to bring you a responsible budget that will continue to put SCCS in the driver#,s seat in delivering the academics that are necessary in giving your children the advantage they need and deserve to stay ahead of our neighbors around the world. We are fortunate to live in the area we do with all the resources that we are just now beginning to utilize in a way that will only enhance our area by cooperating with these entities. By working together we can only make things better and do it more efficiently.

- Ted Rejman, board president, Southern Cayuga Central School District

Jordan-Elbridge Central School District

Polling: Noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the high school, 5721 Hamilton Road, Jordan

Defeated budget: $26,951,966, +5.79 percent.

Estimated tax levy: $10,989,691, +4.33 percent

Revised budget: $26,762,966, +5.04 percent

Estimated tax levy: $10,789,691, +2.43 percent

What's included in the revised budget:

€ Maintains current instructional programs.

€ Addition of $11,000 from the designated fund balance to off-set the tax levy.

€ Eliminates one teaching position, two teaching assistant positions and consolidation of non-instructional functions through attrition (cut made in first budget).

€ Reduction of $26,000 in administrative central administration.

€ Reduction of $37,500 in administrative central support expenses.

€ Reduction of $25,500 in special education.

€ Reduction of $80,000 in equipment purchases.

€ Reduction of $5,000 in meeting refreshments.

€ Reorganization of buildings and grounds staff, leading to a reduction of $15,000.

€ Does NOT include any money or propositions having to do with the postponed capital project.

Contingency budget: $26,361,316, +3.47 percent

Estimated tax levy: $10,774,041, +2.28 percent

Budget message from the board of education president:

In response to an invitation from this paper, I am submitting this article expressing the changes from J-E#'s first proposed budget of $26,951,966 and the revised proposed budget of $26,762,966 for the 2008/2009 school year.

At our May 27th meeting, the board determined after a show of community support not to move forward with a contingency budget but would instead try and reduce the impact to taxpayers by $200,000. It was agreed that none of these monies would come from the program component. This was accomplished by reducing several areas.

These areas include: Admin-Central Support, Admin-Central Administration, Special Education, Equipment, and finally by the reorganization of Buildings & Grounds. These areas provided a reduction of $189,000.

The remaining $11,000 will come from the Estimated Designated Fund Balance, thus reducing the levy increase from 4.33% as in the defeated budget proposal down to 2.43% in the revised proposal.

A more detailed breakdown can be seen on the school's web site at www.jecsd.org.

If this proposal is rejected in the June 17th vote, then the school will have to put in place a contingency budget. This will mean additional cuts of $401,650. This will mean a total budget cut of $590,650. This reduction will affect all areas of budget including programs.

A contingency budget will affect other segments of our community also. For example: The use of school buildings by groups outside the school may require a fee. Many in our community depend on this service to provide space for plays, dance and sports for both adults and children.

I wish to make perfectly clear that I am not attempting to persuade anyone as to how they should vote, but that they vote using the facts, not by hearsay or emotion.

Hope you will vote on June 17th.

- Arlen Schneider,

BOE President,

Jordan-Elbridge Central School District