Grand Island Central School District: Budget hearing May 7

The Grand Island Board of Education will hold a district budget hearing on Monday, May 7, at 8 p.m. in the Connor Middle School Little Theater, 1100 Ransom Road.

The budget vote and trustee election will take place Tuesday, May 15, in the gymnasium of Grand Island High School, 1100 Ransom Road. Voters will decide on a proposed 2012-13 budget of $53,079,789 a 2.35 percent increase over the 2011-12 budget of $51,859,079. The tax levy rises from $28,343,924 to $29,263,924, an increase of 3.25 percent.

During a joint meeting with the Grand Island Town Board on Monday, Board of Education President David Goris said the budget includes "pretty much everything, I think, from an academic standpoint" with a minimal increase in taxes. He said Grand Island is one of the few districts in Western New York that will not suffer from large staff cuts in teaching staff.

Trustee Glenn Bobeck said the district benefits from the fact that the town has a growing tax base.

Superintendent of Schools Robert Christmann noted that over the last six years the district has had an average annual tax increase of 1.1 percent. Over that same time span, residents have supported budget passage with 72 percent voting "yes."

The voters will also select members of the Board of Education at the May 15 vote. District Clerk Janet Schuster reports that three incumbents, and no new challengers, have submitted petitions to run for seats on the Board of Education. Goris and trustees Glenn Bobeck and Joan Droit are running unopposed this year.

Grand Island Central School District

Annual Budget Hearing