Proposed $316M New Rochelle School Budget On The Ballot May 16

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The 2023 budget and school board vote is May 16, and two seats are up for election on the New Rochelle Board of Education.

The proposed spending plan of $316,135,242 is 5.82 percent higher than the current budget.

The tax levy is expected to rise 0.98 percent, which is below the state's tax cap.

District officials said approximately 84 percent of the budget would go towards fixed expenses, including salaries, benefits (pensions, health insurance), and transportation.

"Our school district budget is a key tool that reinforces our district's priorities, reflects our values and beliefs, and is aligned with our refreshed strategic roadmap adopted by the Board of Education," Superintendent Jonathon P. Raymond. "The proposed budget focuses on investing our resources — people, time, and dollars — in key strategic priorities."

Voters will also be asked to decide on a $29 million capital bond proposition to enhance security and capital improvements district-wide, including:

• adding secure entry vestibules at each school
• updating the high school's Whitney M. Young Auditorium
• installing mechanical ventilation to classrooms at Isaac E. Young Middle School
• acquiring properties next to Columbus Elementary School to accomodate future growth from downtown development/alleviate parking & traffic concerns
• Repairs at Barnard Early Childhood Center, including: stormwater upgrades to improve drainage and prevent flooding, culvert repairs around tennis court, repairs to building's chimney
• Repairs at New Rochelle HS, including: exterior stairs outside auditorium, adding point of exit in a dead-end corridor, which would correct a code-deficiency.

SEE ALSO: May 9 | League of Women Voters of New Rochelle Candidates Forum for School and Library Boards

Two board seats will be up for election. The candidate with the most votes will fill the five-year term held by Julia Muggia Ochs. The candidate with the second highest number of votes will complete the four years left in the term of Adam Cooper, who resigned after a year.

Candidates running include: Makeda Lewis, Vincent Malfetano, Lidia Samoila-Farage, and Donald Vega.

Voters may register online with the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, or by mail through the County Board of Elections or contact the Office of the School Clerk at 914-576-4219.