Brewster Voters To Decide On 2018-19 School Budget

BREWSTER, NY — Voters in the Brewster school district will be going to the polls Tuesday, May 15 to have their say on the budget for the 2018-19 school year. There's a second proposition on the ballot, for new school buses. There's also a contested election for school trustees.

The proposed spending package is $99,022,493, up 3.75 percent from the current year. The tax levy increase is 1.9 percent, under the state's property tax cap.

Part of the reason for the increase is that health insurance premiums for employees will rise by 3.7 percent; that includes a significant jump in the mandatory federal reimbursement rate for Medicare Part B recipients. Salaries and benefits represent the largest expenditure categories for the district.

Voters are also being asked to authorize the district to borrow $754,000 to buy new school buses.

There is also an election for three seats on the Brewster Board of Education. The candidates are:

• Kristine Pieragostini
• Erik Grutzner
• Daniel Heintz
• Mary Cay Nilsen
• Sonia Mesika
• Scott Seaman
• Catherine Meyer

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Brewster High School.