School budget vote and  Board of Education election is tomorrow, Tuesday, May 16

Voting on the 2023-24 school district budget takes place at the school gymnasium from noon to 9 p.m., tomorrow, Tuesday.

The budget proposal totals $12.66 million, with $11.2 million coming from local property taxes.

There’s also a proposition to extend the distance the district would have to bus students attending private schools off-Island. By state law, the requirement is to bus students within a 15-mile radius, but if the proposition passes, it would extend for up to 17 miles.

The need for an additional bus and ferry fare would result in added cost and go beyond the state-mandated 2% tax cap.

Should the budget and transportation propositions each pass by at least 60%, both would pass. But if the budget vote fails to hit the 60% mark, both propositions would fail no matter how many votes the transportation proposition draws.

It would fall to the Board of Education to submit a revised budget proposal or the same one for a second vote. If that fails, the district would have to adopt a contingency budget. That would force cuts in programs and staff, said Superintendent Brian Doelger, Ed.D.

Also on the ballot is the election of three members to the Board of Education. Candidates are incumbents Dawn Hedberg and Tracy McCarthy, challenged by Emily Parsons and Anthony Rando.

The top vote getter will be sworn in to complete the term of Rob Strauss, who resigned in March to take a teaching position in the district. Two others will be elected to become Board of Education members as of July 1 and would take their oaths of office at the district’s July reorganization meeting on a date to he set.