The budget passed by 116 votes, a slim 55% majority. The relief among school board members, Superintendent Russ Bartlett and district staff was palpable.

“I think we’re all a little surprised, to tell you the truth,” TLCSD Board President Jane Whitmore said. “It feels great. It was a rough year.”

“Fantastic,” TLCSD Vice President Jason Rolley said. “I’m relieved. … Good for the district, for the kids.”

The 2024-25 budget was controversial because although it decreases spending by $464,944, it increases the tax levy by $10.3 million, or 8.75%. That’s because of a deficit created by the district’s dwindling fund balance, the end of federal coronavirus aid and state aid falling below expectations.

Ky Lalonde, a ninth grader, paints outside of the Tupper Lake Middle High School on Tuesday night as residents voted on the school budget. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

The budget was opposed by a large portion of taxpayers, many of whom said they have been taxed enough, or who blamed the increase on the district allegedly mismanaging its money. Several advertisements, letters and editorials in the Tupper Lake Free Press urged voters to reject the budget. A lawn sign placed across the street from the Middle-High School polling place also told voters to reject the budget.

Whitmore said she feels for the seniors and others on fixed incomes who opposed this tax increase with fears that, coupled with other tax increases and inflation driving up the cost of living, they won’t be able to keep their homes.

The budget also had reluctant supporters. People who didn’t like the tax increase, but felt the additional cuts that rejecting the budget would result in would cause too much damage to the schools.

“For the extra $13 a month, roughly, the impact it would have had wasn’t worth it,” Rolley said.

If the budget was rejected, the district would have faced two options — tinker with it and schedule a re-vote next month, or revert to a contingency budget. If that second vote also failed it would have resulted in a contingency budget.

A contingency budget has a tax levy increase of 0%. This would drop the tax rate increase from $137 to $78 per $100,000 of assessed property value. But Bartlett said it would also have resulted in another $835,450 in cuts, an 8.75% drop in revenue for the district. That would mean more positions cut and more people losing their jobs. Anything not legally required could be cut. Usually this means cuts to extracurriculars, sports and arts first.

Rolley said some students come to school just for the sports, or just the arts. The library where the vote took place was filled with the artwork of students. If they aren’t in school, they’re idle, and could get up to no good, he said.

He also felt that if the budget failed, it would have had a negative “trickle down” impact on the town, causing people to move away, or not move to town in search of better schools.

The library was filled with chatter and laughter before the close of polls on Tuesday night. But when the polls closed, a hush grew. All that remained was whispers and the shuffling of feet and papers. After the passage was confirmed, Bartlett, the board, and district staff breathed visible sighs of relief and began congratulating each other. After all the votes were read, they applauded.

Tupper Lake is no stranger to close budget votes. The school district’s 2021-22 budget passed by only eight votes.

Bartlett thanked everyone who cast the 1,133 ballots in the election this year.

“Any time you have a turnout of this size, it’s because people feel passionate about it,” he said.

He was “at a loss for words.” For months, he said they had been “sick” thinking about what they would have to take away if the budget failed and they went to a contingency.

“Because our kids deserve everything they’re getting and then some,” he said.

The board’s exuberance over the budget passing was only tempered by the proposition — which would have allowed the district to trade in for two new school buses — missing passage by only three votes. They try to replace two buses every five years. The rejection of this proposition means, in a couple of years, students will be riding two buses that are older than they should be.

“The slightly scary thing is the last time we did not pass a bus proposition, we ended up having to have a major bus repair situation in the middle of a school year, which is always more costly,” Bartlett said.

Rolley said he’d take this loss for the larger budget win.

Though the budget passed, he said the close nature of the vote means a lot more work for them in planning the budget next year. Bartlett won’t be the superintendent anymore then. He’s retiring after graduation this year and a search for his successor is underway.

Bartlett said he’s retiring, but he cared so much about this budget. He wanted to leave the district in good shape, he said.

“You don’t spend 30 years somewhere and just walk away,” he said, adding that he’ll be watching the budget votes years from now.

“This is an extremely unfortunate financial situation,” Bartlett said. “People are going to believe what they want but it’s not the fault of anyone. It is a financial situation. And I think you’re going to see over the next two years school districts all over the state are going to be doing the same exact thing.”

Bartlett told whoever is the superintendent next to “listen to the community,” to balance what the taxpayers can afford with giving the children the best education they can.

With the approval of this budget, approximately 12% of roughly 165 district staff will be cut next year – mostly due to pandemic-era funding running out.

The tax levy increase is below the state-imposed tax cap, which limits how much the district can raise taxes. The budget carries an estimated tax rate increase of $137 per $100,000 of assessed value — $274 more for a $200,000 home or $411 more for a $300,000 home.

The tax rate resulting from this budget is estimated at an increase of $137 per $100,000 of assessed value — $274 more for a $200,000 home or $411 more for a $300,000 home. Local properties will be reassessed in August, and are subject to change in terms of assessments and equalization rates.

Whitmore and Rolley, who were running uncontested for reelection, both earned another three-year term on the board with 879 and 870 votes, respectively.

There were also 57 write-in votes.

Several board members said they were going to sleep well Tuesday night.