Schools

Tonight: Chappaqua School Board Votes on Budget

The board will vote, essentially, to send a budget to the voters for a referendum on May 21. Also on the agenda are visits from author Yong Zhao and state Assemblyman David Buchwald.

Chappaqua’s school board will vote tonight to adopt a 2013-14 budget, which means that it will be put on the ballot for a public vote on May 21, which is required in order for it to go into effect.

The total budget proposed is $114,828,088, and has an increase in the tax levy, which is the total amount of property tax revenue to be collected, of 2.05 percent. The levy is technically within a state-imposed cap, which is the lesser of 2 percent or the inflation rate, because of exemptions such as some pension payments and change to the local tax base.

Find out what's happening in Chappaqua-Mount Kiscowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Meanwhile, the budget calls for increases in the tax rate, which is what people owe per $1,000 of assessed property value, of 2.25 percent for New Castle and 2.71 percent for Mount Pleasant.

The budget also calls for job cuts of 12.39.

Find out what's happening in Chappaqua-Mount Kiscowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Aside from the budget vote, there are several other items on the board’s agenda. They include a “legislative update” from state Assemblyman David Buchwald, a presentation from Yong Zhao, author of the book “World Class Learners,” and a vote to approve Jamie Edelman to become the next principal of Douglas G. Grafflin Elementary School. Edelman, who is principal of Putnam Valley Elementary School in Putnam Valley, was announced as a selection last week by Superintendent Lyn McKay.

The school board’s meeting starts at 8:15 p.m., at Horace Greeley High School’s academic commons. Click here for the agenda.


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