School Budget Passes by a Wide Margin
by Nancy Wood,
May 20, 2010, page 1.....

On a vote of 718 (63%) to 421 (37%), the CCS school budget finally passed on Tuesday, May 18.

The vote was a major reversal of the results of April 6, when the budget failed by a wide margin, with 270 (44%) in favor and 347 (56%) opposed. On Town Meeting day, the budget was defeated 524-568. Forty-seven more voters turned out for Tuesday’s vote (1139) than on Town Meeting day (1092).

School Board chair Lynne Jaunich said, “The School Board is pleased that Charlotte has supported their school and their students. We hope that the energy and ideas we have seen in the last few months will translate into greater community participation in school board meetings."

A highly organized group of parents may have made the difference. Signs were posted throughout town, and parents and students sported “Vote Yes for CCS” t-shirts and flags at key intersections and the entrance to the school parking lot. Their early morning enthusiasm was greeted with multiple honks from cars that lined up as parents and others entered the parking lot to drop off children and to vote. Parents and school board members took turns during the day standing outside the door to the multi-purpose, holding signs and thanking people for coming to vote.

The early morning voters were also treated to the sounds of music, with a lively band practice in the adjacent room.

The ballots were counted within a half hour after the polls closed at 7 p.m. Moe Harvey commented, with a touch of humor, “All those little kids crying out there in the street did the job!”

The $7,002,271 budget had been cut an additional $60,000 after its second defeat on April 6, with savings from deferred maintenance, food service, lighting and the decision not to hire a third kindergarten teacher. The budget is $236,909 (3.27%) less than the current year budget, which was level funded compared to the prior year.

The education tax impact will be lower than originally predicted. In the final days of the legislative session the school tax rates for fiscal year 2010 were set at the same level as for the current year, rather than increased. With the newly voted budget, the residential tax rate for CCS will be $.9175, a 2.64% increase over last year. The residential rate is applied to residents’ homesteads, and is subject to income sensitivity adjustments. When blended with CVU, the total residential rate will be $1.3435, a 2.4% increase.

The nonresidential rate, which applies to open land, commercial property and seasonal dwellings, will be $1.3468 for both CVU and CCS, an increase of less than 1%.

Board members Dan Luce and Kristin Wright, who were present for the vote count Tuesday night, were clearly relieved when it was over, and thankful for the support.

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Photo:Enthusiastic parents and their children rallied to get out the “yes” vote for CCS. Here are members of the Silverman, Gorman, Luce and Burhans families greeting arrivals at school and the polls early Tuesday morning. Photo by Nancy Wood.