Voters approve 2024-25 Fort Plain school budget, elect three to school board

Fort Plain Central School District residents voted on May 21, 2024 to approve a $23,844,000 budget for the 2024-25 school year by a vote of 239 to 65.

Propositions

Voters also approved a referendum by a vote of 225 to 79 authorizing the district to purchase three school buses at a maximum cost of $450,000. These funds will be drawn from the Bus Purchase/Capital Reserve Fund. The purchase will have no impact on the tax levy.

A referendum to allow the Fort Plain Library to increase its annual taxpayer supported appropriation from $85,000 to $100,000 was also approved by a vote of 229 to 77. The library appropriation is separate and apart from the Fort Plain Central School District annual budget. These monies are raised annually along with other taxes on taxable property within the district and paid over by the Fort Plain municipality to the library’s trustees.

Board of Education election

Additionally, voters elected three individuals to fill vacancies on the Board of Education. The elected candidates are Sara McDuffee (247 votes), Neal VanSlyke (201 votes) and Joshua Parkinson (158 votes).

Sara McDuffee and Neal VanSlyke will serve three-year terms beginning July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2027.  Joshua Parkinson will serve a one-year and six-week term beginning May 21, 2024 and ending June 30, 2025 (which fills a vacancy created by a board member’s resignation.)