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Keene school board sends voters 1.55% tax hike

KEENE VALLEY — The Keene Central School District’s Board of Education has agreed to offer voters a $6.1 million budget for the coming school year.

That’s a spending increase of 2.17 percent and a tax levy increase of 1.55 percent over this year’s $5.97 million budget. The budget will be put to voters on Tuesday, May 16. The vote will take place from noon to 8 p.m. in the Keene Central School’s Commons Area.

The vote will also include the election of one Board of Education member from three candidates: incumbent Sheryl Quinn and challengers Ed Juckett and Thomas McCabe.

Keene Superintendent Dan Mayberry outlined in a statement last week that under the proposed budget, a $100,000 home would pay $899 in school tax. It’s a rate of $8.99 per $1,000 in assessed value, based on August 2016 figures. As of the end of that month, taxable property in the district totaled $553.54 million in assessed value.

Mayberry outlined that under the proposed budget, there will be an increase in the cost of teacher salaries and benefits, including a part-time elementary counselor and an “Elementary Forest Friday” program.

The superintendent outlined savings to include a reduced number of students accessing CV-TEC vocational and special education programs. He also said a new custodial hire and a part-time Spanish program would contribute to savings.

Much like neighboring Lake Placid Superintendent Roger Catania said last month, Mayberry said the delay in the state finalizing its budget and state aid for schools limited Keene.

“This year’s budget process has been interesting due to the lack of progress on the state level,” Mayberry said. “Much of the stalemate on the state level is due to uncertainty from Washington.”

He added that “The upcoming year will bring further implementation of the (school district’s) strategic plan and consideration of a capital project.”

Mayberry also said the school’s roof is at the end of its “useful lifespan” and that the 2017-18 school year will be the district’s final year of payments on its 1998 capital project. Looking ahead, he said the district will decide what facility improvements need to be made and their associated costs.

The superintendent also said district officials are in discussions with those from the town of Keene about possibly sharing the cost of maintenance of transportation equipment.

“The goal, on both sides, is to provide quality service and find savings for our taxpayers,” Mayberry said.

In advance of the vote, the board will host its annual meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 8 at the school’s auditorium at 33 Market St.

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