Owego Apalachin Prepares for School Budget Re-Vote

Residents and district officials are gearing up for another budget vote next week in the Owego Apalachin School District.

An official budget hearing was held June 11 with a community information session planned for 1 p.m. June 12 at the Coburn Free Library and10 a.m. June 13 at the Tioga County Boys and Girls Club before a board of education meeting at 7 p.m. on the 13th. The meetings lead up to the June 18 revote on the budget, which failed in the statewide budget vote May 21.  The new plan cuts the tax levy increase by 1% to 2.83%.

If the revised budget is also rejected, the OA School District would be forced to adopt a contingency budget that officials said would slash $654,000 in spending, cut programs and cost the district in other funding.  Residents using school facilities would also have to pay for the privilege.

After the original proposal was voted down May 21, district officials said they believed there was a misunderstanding about the tax increase in relation to the New York State mandated cap.  The 3.83% increase as calculated for complicated spending and expenditure formulas still fell within the 2% limit but voters may have thought the amount exceeded the cap.

Following the Board of Education meeting June 13, one more budget information session is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. June 14 at the Tioga County Visitor Center.

The budget vote on the 18^th will be from noon to 8 p.m. at the Owego Apalachin Middle School and Apalachin Elementary School since there will be Regents tests going on that day at the Owego Free Academy.