Poll: Proposed 2012-13 Pearl River School District Budget

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. Tuesday for the Pearl River School District 2012 vote at Pearl River High School's Pirate Cove.

Proposition 1 asks for a yes or no vote on the Proposed 2012-13 Pearl River School District Budget.

The $60,289,068 budget includes a projected tax increase of 2.97% for homeowners. The budget does comply with the state-mandated tax cap, with a tax levy increase of 2.15%. This budget includes the use of approximately $1 million in reserves.

According to Director of Operations Quinton Van Wynen, the district kept the following goals in mind while putting together the proposed budget:

• Keep the tax levy increase in line with state requirements
• Maintain class sizes in the district's three elementary schools
• Maintain core courses in at Pearl River High School and Pearl River Middle School.
• Protect extra-curricular and co-curricular programs.
• Continue to reduce staff only by attrition.

"I'm happy to say we have been able to meet all of those goals, including the most challenging, which was dealing with Albany and the definition of a two percent tax increase," Van Wynen said in March when presenting the final proposal, which was adopted by the board of education two weeks ago.

The state mandated cap is commonly referred to as two percent, but there are exceptions, which in Pearl River's case raised the number to 2.15%.

The budget is one of proposals on Tuesday's ballot. Proposal 2 calls for a return of bus limits for all Pearl River High School students to 1.5 miles. For more on that proposal, read this report from earlier today on Patch. 

Tuesday's vote also includes the Pearl River Board of Education Election. There are three candidates running for two seats -- incumbents Bruce Bond and Jackie Curtiss and challenger Patrice Carrieri. For more on the school board election, read this report on Patch. 

Pirate Cove at Pearl River High School is the only location where people can vote. The district made the change from three locations to one last year.