School district voters in Lansing passed the 2018-19 budget Tuesday, and elected school board members.  The $30,067,200 budget was passed 386 to 98, an 80% win for the District.  Aziza Benson won her fourth term on the Board of Education with 422 votes, and Walaa Maharem-Horan won her first term with 65 write-in votes.  Former School Board President Ted Laux received one write-in vote.  Voters also authorized the District to purchase and finance two 70-passenger student transport vehicles and two two-passenger vans.

Altogether there were about 180 write-in votes.  Erin Socha received the next highest number, 59. Several other people's names were written in. Among them were Tom Jones, Julie Boles, Linda Pasto, Dan Pace, Isaac Newton, Glenn Withiam, Mike Koplinka-Loehr, and Mary Cathles.

This year the Lansing school budget topped $30 million for the first time.  The budget increased 3.14% from last year.  The tax levy for the combined amount collected from property owners and PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of taxes) agreements rose 2.78%.  Because of a decline in PILOT payments, individual property taxpayers will pay 3.79% more.

About $25 million of the $30 million is consumed by instructional, retirement and social security, insurance, and debt service expenses.  Most of that goes to teacher and staff salaries and benefits, the most expensive portion of any school budget.

Bus purchases have become routine over the years.  As the debt is paid on old buses it is simply rolled over to pay for new ones.  That, along with state aid, means there is no significant increase to the taxpayers, and it insures that the Lansing fleet is safe and up to date.

Lansing schools have received a good deal of recognition over the past year.  Lansing High School was named a National Blue Ribbon School,  and a Top School in Central New York, as well as ranking among the top 50 schools for SAT scores.  The District was named a 'Reward School' in New York State, and Business First named Lansing the top school district in the Syracuse Area.  It was also recognized as one of the top 30 best school districts in upstate New York to teach in.

The Ithaca City School District also posted preliminary results from Tuesday's vote this week.  Voters approved a $128,466,376 budget 1,820 to 414.  Voters also consented to the appropriation and expenditure of funds from the School District's 2018 Capital Reserve Fund 1,968to 284, and to eliminate registration by the Board of Registration and replace it with continuous registration in the office of the district clerk 1,811 to 342.  Moira Lang (1,509 votes), Nicole LaFave (1,443), and Ann Reichlin (1,146) were the three of six candidates to win seats on the Board of Education.

The final tax rate will be determined late this summer when the most recent overall Lansing assessment numbers are available.

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