Clarkstown's Proposed $244 Million School Budget On The Ballot May 16

NEW CITY, NY — The 2023 budget and school board vote - and library budget in some cases - is May 16, and two seats are up for election on the Clarkstown Board of Education.

Incumbent trustees Zizette Deutsche and David Gosman are seeking re-election and Alana Rao is running again this year.

The proposed spending plan of $244,459,621 is 6 percent higher than the current budget. It includes $1.8 million for a new roof at Bardonia Elementary School and renovations to the basketball court and the extended parking lot at Clarkstown High School North.

District officials focused on aligning expenditures with the district's goals.

The tax levy is expected to rise just 2 percent, which is at the state's tax cap — 2 percent for the second straight year.

A budget hearing is scheduled for May 4.

Voters may register online with the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, or by mail through the Rockland County Board of Elections, 11 New Hempstead Rd, New City, NY 10956 - Phone: 845- 638-5172, or at the Office of the District Clerk, in the Chestnut Grove Administrative Center, 62 Old Middletown Road, New City - Phone: 845-639-6455.

Registered voters may download an application for an absentee ballot online or contact the district clerk's office.

Completed applications must be received by the District Clerk at least seven days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter or the voter’s designated agent.

Absentee ballots must be returned to the District Clerk's Office by 5 p.m. May 16.

Editor's Note: Trustee David Gosman's name was misspelled in the original version of this article. Patch regrets the error. The original version of this report mischaracterized Rao's stance on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The article has been updated to remove the error.