Area School Spending Plans Receive Support | News, Sports, Jobs

A Jamestown Public Schools district resident casts his vote Tuesday. School budgets and board of education seats were voted on across the county.
P-J photo by Eric Tichy

Residents throughout New York state headed to the polls Tuesday to participate in this year’s school district elections. Voters were asked to approve spending plans and other propositions, as well as select members to their district Board of Education. Below are some of the results from area schools.

BEMUS POINT CENTRAL SCHOOL

Voters approved the $16,084,938 spending plan. Voters also approved the proposition to purchase two replacement school buses at a cost of $300,000. Megan Kent and Lauren Ryan, who both ran unopposed, were elected to the Board of Education.

BROCTON CENTRAL SCHOOL

Voters approved the $18,132,136 spending plan. There were two seats open for the Board of Education. Unofficial results show the top two candidates were Steven Smith with 139 votes and Stewart Thompson with 116. Anna Thibodeau received 92 votes and there were an additional six write-in votes cast as well.

CASSADAGA VALLEY

Voters approved the $24,903,368 spending plan. They approved purchasing three 60-40 passenger school buses and related equipment at a cost of $385,355.Voters approved a resolution establishing a Capital Improvement Reserve Fund and also a $10.3 million building project. The building project includes classroom renovations, improved ventilation, mechanical upgrades, a new roof, elevator improvements, renovations to the art and music rooms, ramp and sidewalk improvements and softball and baseball field improvements at the middle/high school building. Sinclairville Elementary School work will include a new playground, classroom renovations, creek stabilization, a pole barn for storage and mechanical system upgrades. Finally, Matthew Miller, who ran unopposed, was elected to the Board of Education. School officials note there were six write-in candidates as well.

CHAUTAUQUA LAKE CENTRAL SCHOOL

Voters approved the $23,585,665 spending plan. They also approved two other propositions. One established a capital reserve to enable the district to allocate funds to address future capital improvement projects that are not fully funded in the district’s annual operating budget. The reserve funding cannot exceed $7 million. The other proposition was for a repair reserve to enable the district to address public safety concerns on campus by allocating funds for unexpected facility repairs, equipment failure, and infrastructure replacement. The unassigned general fund balance from 2021-22 can now be transferred with a maximum amount of $750,000. According to school officials, Andrea Munsee-Wellman and Kenneth Shearer Jr. were elected to the Board of Education. Unofficial vote totals were not provided Tuesday night.

CLYMER CENTRAL SCHOOL

Voters approved the $11,729,461 spending plan. They also approved a proposition to establish a capital improvements reserve fund. Mike Schenck, who ran unopposed, was elected to the Board of Education.

DUNKIRK CITY SCHOOLS

The Dunkirk school district is set to get three new Board of Education members. According to unofficial results provided Tuesday night by District Clerk Tara Jakse, the top vote-getter in the election was Stephen Helwig with 378 votes. Marcus Buchanan took second place in the six-person race with 348 votes. Lucas Catalano was in third place with 314 votes.

Incumbents Robert Bankoski and Julie Smith received 191 and 189 votes, respectively. The sixth candidate, Joseph Hallmark, had 113 votes. Helwig and Buchanan will fill three-year terms and Catalano will serve for one year.

Also Tuesday, the district’s 2022-23 budget proposal passed easily. There were 450 “yes” votes to 106 “no,” according to Jakse’s results.

FALCONER CENTRAL SCHOOL

Voters approved the $27,095,000 spending plan. They also approved a proposition to establish a capital improvements reserve fund. Tom Frederes and Robert Carpenter, who both ran unopposed, were elected to the Board of Education.

FREDONIA CENTRAL SCHOOL

Voters approved the $31,930,024 spending plan. Steve Johnston and Sheila Starkey Hahn, who both ran unopposed, were elected to the Board of Education.

GOWANDA CENTRAL SCHOOL

Voters approved the $34,210,405 spending plan. They approved the proposition to buy one 30-passenger school bus at an estimated maximum cost of $59,893 and two 66-passenger school buses at a combined maximum cost of $252,411. Voters also approved a proposal on the ballot to increase tax collections for the Gowanda Free Library from $50,000 a year to $58,000 a year. John Y. Waterman Jr., Barbara Weston and Shauna McMahon, who ran unopposed, were elected to the Board of Education.

JAMESTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOL

Voters approved the $93,893,354 spending plan. They approved the establishment of a capital improvements reserve fund. They approved the establishment of a vehicles, machinery, and equipment reserve fund. They also approved the acquisition of land across from the high school that they utilize for student, staff and community parking for $225,000. Patrick Slagle and Joseph Pawelski, who ran unopposed, were elected to the Board of Education.

PINE VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL

Voters approved the $17,607,694 spending plan. They also approved a proposition to establish a capital reserve fund. Josh Howard, William Pekrul and Larry Zollinger, who all ran unopposed, were elected to the Board of Education.

RANDOLPH CENTRAL SCHOOL

Voters approved the $20,930,008 spending plan. Kyle Brown, Daniel Jackson and Julie Milliman, who all ran unopposed, were elected to the Board of Education.

SHERMAN CENTRAL SCHOOL

Voters approved the $11,176,500 spending plan. Voters also approved the purchase of two 66-passenger school buses for $351,290. Kristin Irwin was elected to the Board of Education. There were three candidates running for one seat. Unofficial results show Irwin with 235 votes, Colleen Meeder and Travis Weise with 140 votes and Colleen Meeder with 82 votes.

SILVER CREEK CENTRAL SCHOOL

Voters approved the $27,469,891 spending plan. Voters approved a proposition to purchase two 66-passenger buses at a total cost of $237,692 paid for from the district’s capital reserve for vehicles. Voters approved a proposition to establish a new capital reserve fund for capital improvements, with the fund not to exceed $8 million and a proposition to establish a new capital reserve fund for vehicles not to exceed $2 million. Michael Grisanti was elected to the Board of Education. Unofficial results show Grisanti received 229 votes while Joel Blasdell received 106 votes. There were also two write-ins.

SOUTHWESTERN CENTRAL SCHOOL

Voters approved the $30,898,841 spending plan. Voters also approved the purchase two 65-passenger buses at a maximum cost of $145,536 each, one passenger bus at a maximum cost of $147,506 and a 32-passenger special needs bus for a maximum of $156,145. The board has two vacancies to be filled. Unofficial results show the top two candidates were Correy Miller receiving 196 votes and Elizabeth Laczi receiving 173 votes. Brendan Carter received 139 votes.

WESTFIELD ACADEMY AND CENTRAL SCHOOL

Voters approved the $17,122,216 spending plan. Thomas Tarpley and Wendy Dyment, who ran unopposed, were elected to the Board of Education.