May 15 is school budget vote and school board candidate election in Florida, Greenwood Lake and Warwick

May 15 is the annual, statewide school district budget vote/election of Board of Education members.
Unlike federal, state and local municipal budgets, school district budgets are ones where taxpayers directly approve or disapprove them, versus having elected officials making those financial decisions on behalf of constituents.
And while school districts officials cannot tell voters how to vote, they encourage people to exercise their right to vote.
Here’s a recap of the 2018-19 school budget highlights and board candidates for the Florida, Greenwood Lake and Warwick Valley school districts:
Florida School District Proposed budget highlights
• A proposed $21,690,646 budget
• A 2.16 percent increase over the previous year
• Property Taxes will increase by 464,229 a 3.07 percent increase
• Major increases come from a $50,000 bus purchase
• 222,842 increase in Occupational Education
• 83,437 increase in Programs fro Students with Disabilities
• 267,818 increase in Teaching a huge piece coming from an increase in contractual expenses and Boces Services
Two propositions
• Proposition for continuous Voter Registration
• Capital Reserve Fund District plans to transfer $100,000 for safety and security upgrades to all buildings
Full budget details available at http://www.floridaufsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Proposed-Budget.pdf
Board of Education election
Order they appear on ballot
• Matthew Mulhare, incumbent
• John Redman, current president
• Robert Scheuermann
Greenwood Lake School DistrictProposed budget highlights
• A proposed $ 26,644,165 budget
• A 3.7 percent increase over the previous year
• A tax levy increase of 1.75 percent over the previous year.
• The budget includes a 582,310 increase to employee salaries.
• A 458,535 increase in Employee Benefits
• A 156,195 cut to Special Education
• A 233,930 increase in High School Tuition
Proposition
• Increase the maximum amount of the Districtwide Improvements and Bus Purchase Capital Reserve Fund established in 2017 by $2,500,000 during the remaining term of such Capital Reserve Fund.
Board of Education election
Five candidates vying for four seats
• Michele Kayser
• Barbara McInerney
• Ronald Sommer
• John Finn
• Thomas O’Brien
Full budget details available at https://www.gwlufsd.org/cms/lib/NY01913686/Centricity/Domain/323/18-19%20Budget%20Workshop1.pdf
Warwick Valley School District Proposed budget highlights
• A proposed $92,819,749 budget
• A 3.0 percent spending increase over the previous year
• Tax levy increase of 2.95 percent over the previous year
• The major portion of the tax levy comes from property taxes.
• The proposed budget includes reductions of:
> 8 teachers
> .6 (Half Time) teaching position
> CTEC (savings from cosmetology & video production courses being brought back in-house from BOCES)
> 1 Administrator position
Proposition
Purchase of five new buses:
(1) 21-passenger wheelchair bus
(1) 29-passenger bus/van
(3) 65-passenger bus/vans
Proposition
Establishment of a Repair Reserve Fund, up to $750,000, maximum
Full budget details available at: http://www.warwickvalleyschools.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/public-budget-doc_apr18.pdf, with select information sent in a mailing to district taxpayers.
Board of Education election
Three candidates vying for three seats
• Sharon Davis, incumbent, current BOE vice president
• Lynn Lillian, incumbent, current BOE president
• David Eaton, incumbent