Cohoes City School District residents approved a $41,826,200 budget for the 2017-18 school year by a vote of 376 in favor to 274 opposed. The budget includes a spending increase of 0.97 percent over the current 2016-17 fiscal year and carries a 1.62 percent tax levy increase. This means the district will collect the same amount of taxes ($14,710,755) as last year.
Residents of the city also elected two members to the Board of Education. Margaret Giller received 415 votes, Helen Annely received 337 votes and Vincent Baran received 282 votes. Margaret Giller, who filled a vacancy created by a resignation earlier in the 2015-16 school year, will serving her first three-year term along with newcomer Helen Annely.
Approval of the budget means new transportation option for secondary students
The district will begin developing plans to implement the CDTA transportation initiative to provide swipe cards to all students in grades 6-12 beginning in September. The cost to provide swipe cards to the roughly 960 eligible students, an estimated $127,500, was a part of the approved budget.
The plan allows middle and high school students a safe and convenient way to get to and from school using city buses. As part of the proposal, CDTA would increase bus service by adding four buses along three new routes to coincide with arrival and dismissal times at the middle and high schools.
“We were very proud to present a responsible budget for the community’s consideration that addresses the growing need for a reliable and safe transportation option for our students,” said Jennifer Spring, Superintendent. “We’re taking a whole-system approach to improving teaching and learning, and the continued support from the community, as evidenced by these results, will help us further the vision of becoming one of the highest performing school districts in the Greater Capital Region.”