Webutuck Board of Ed OKs 2020-21 school district budget

WEBUTUCK — In what turned out to be a short but productive meeting, the Webutuck Board of Education (BOE) approved the proposed school district budget for the 2020-21 school year and set the date for the mandated public hearing during the board’s virtual meeting on Thursday, May 14.

In the months following the coronavirus outbreak, school districts across the state have had to adjust to a series of significant changes, from the postponement of the school board elections to schools being closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. On top of adapting to these changes, the North East (Webutuck) Central School District has had some concerns about the approval of the proposed school district budget for the 2020-21 school year. In an earlier interview with The Millerton News, Webutuck Superintendent of Schools Raymond Castellani explained that without its approval, there would be a reduction in programs that would lead to a reduction in the district’s workforce.

Along with the budget’s approval, Castellani stressed the importance of making sure residents contact the school district to obtain a ballot so they can vote on the 2020-21 budget and in the BOE election.

“We need to make sure that people request a ballot if they’re interested in having a vote,” Castellani said hours before the recent BOE meeting. “We’d like to make sure everyone has a vote.” 

The BOE meeting was held via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Webutuck BOE President Judy Moran moved to direct District Clerk Tracy Trotter to notify voters the public hearing on the budget will be Tuesday, May 26, at 7 p.m. Moran also announced that this year’s school district election and vote on the budget will be held on Tuesday, June 9.

Totaling $23,909,545, the BOE approved the 2020-21 school district budget. The budget’s anticipated revenue (exclusive of taxes) has been calculated at $8,309,036 and the amount to be raised by taxes has been calculated at $15,600,509.

Voters with questions related to their eligibility can reach out to Trotter via email at tracy.trotter@webutuck.org. Castellani clarified that qualified voters on the most recent poll list will automatically receive an absentee ballot. For qualified voters who aren’t on the most recent poll list, he advised they contact Trotter via email. He recommended that community members shouldn’t wait to check to see if they are on the poll list; they should be proactive and contact Trotter so that she can cross-check the list.

“It’s important that people let us know if they need a ballot to vote and contact either my email or Tracy’s,” Castellani emphasized.

Regarding the 2020-21 budget, Castellani reported on a later date that this budget has a budget-to-budget increase of 1.99% from last year and its levy is 5.99%, which he said is below what the district is allowed. He added that this budget also qualifies homeowners for the tax reimbursement. Castellani said that for a home with an assessed value of $200,000, there is a $6.32 increase per month — in essence, he said the value is $173.50 less than it was two years ago.

For more information about this year’s school district vote, contact Castellani at raymond.castellani@webutuck.org or Trotter at tracy.trotter@webutuck.org.