NEW ROCHELLE, NY –Residents approved the City School District of New Rochelle’s proposed budget for the 2017-2018 school year Tuesday by a vote of 2,035 (4.5%) to 719.
2,754 votes were cast on the school budget referendum out of 44,951 registered voters in New Rochelle, 6.013%.
Just under 94% of registered voters in New Rochelle did not vote to support the budget.
The library budget passed with 2,083 votes (4.6%).
Voters also elected Amy Moselhi and Paul Warhit to the Board of Education, They will serve five-year terms on the school board from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2022.
Moselhi received 1,928 votes (4.2%). Warhit received 1,588 votes (3.5%). About 95% of registered voters did not for a school board candidate.
In 2018, there will be one seat on the school board up for election. Sources tell Talk of the Sound that Dr. Pamela Davis does not plan to run for a second term next year.
Yadira Ramos-Herbert ran unopposed for a 5 year term on the Library Board of Trustees.
Library Board Trustee Haina Just-Michael informed the Board in April that she intends to move out of New Rochelle in a few weeks. She declined to resign prior to the 2017 election so that the Board could appoint a successor to her seat.
The results remain unofficial.
The $259,622,488 school budget represents a 2.34 percent increase over the previous year’s budget. The increase in the tax levy is 1.995 percent and complies with the state’s required tax levy cap. The total proposed taxes to be collected by the school district will be $204,441,642, or 78.75 percent of the budget. In addition, $43,055,794 of revenue will come from state aid and $12,125,052 from other sources.
“The Board of Education is grateful to the community for its support of the 2017-18 budget,” said Board of Education President Rachel Relkin. “Moving ahead, we look forward to continuing our pursuit of providing a high quality and challenging education to all our students.”
“I am truly grateful to this community for supporting this budget which holds true to our commitment to provide the very best education for our students while remaining fiscally responsible,” added Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Osborne. “In addition to maintaining all academic programs, the budget adds positions to accommodate for enrollment increases, maintains favorable class sizes and meets pressing student needs.”
Those positions include a part-time Trinity psychologist, a full-time Foundations life skills program counselor position at New Rochelle High School, a part-time Isaac E. Young Middle School English as a Second Language teacher, and a full-time Davis Elementary teacher. The budget also supports critical ongoing professional development of teachers and administrators.
In addition, the budget includes funding to support vital instructional technology enhancements, including the ability to provide wireless Internet access to over 95 percent of district instructional spaces. The district’s Chromebook program will also be expanded, providing more than 2,500 new mobile devices to students.
In addition, the budget includes an investment for playground replacement and improvements at Trinity, Webster and Columbus elementary schools. The district will also replace the roof of a district-owned maintenance facility on Grove Avenue. A new facility management team will be in place for 2017-2018.
The Library Budget significantly exceeds the tax cap.