Voters will go to the polls next week to decide on the Elmira City School District’s (ECSD) $160,727,766 budget proposal.
A public hearing for the proposed budget was held at the administration building on Monday.
The budget is a $5,382,859 increase over last year with a tax levy of 1.98 percent, which is under the state tax cap and only requires a 50 percent plus one—or a simple majority—to pass.
Instruction and employee benefits are the top expenditures for the district at a combined $123,159,841.
There are no additional propositions on the ballot. In Elmira, the Chemung County Library District budget is not part of the school district budget vote.
The ECSD is still awaiting New York’s final state budget, which was due April 1.
District officials said they are not expecting any major changes to the nearly $119,990,068 in state aid proposed for the district by the governor’s office in January.
School board elections will take place along with the budget vote next Tuesday.
There are four people running for three seats on the school board.
Incumbents Kellie Lowman and Sara Lattin are seeking another term.
Lowman is completing her first term and Lattin, who currently serves as the ECSD board president, has been a board member since 2009.
Newcomers Karah Sheahan and Caitlin Fields are seeking a first term.
Questions from the audience were submitted ahead of the forum and moderated by the district’s public information officer.
Budget documents and bios for school board candidates can be found on the Elmira City School District website.
School budget voting and board elections take place on May 19.