What did voters decide in the school elections in Oneida, Herkimer, Madison counties

The majority of local voters passed their school district budgets and voted for any incumbents up for re-election.

Passing the budget for the next school year follows the state trend. Voters in all of the districts in Oneida, Herkimer and eastern Madison counties who reported their election results to the Observer-Dispatch approved their budgets as well as any propositions on their ballots.

Most of the resolutions were on issues such as buying school buses, setting up a capital reserve fund, approving capital projects and funding libraries. In the Rome City School District, voters also approved a proposition to cut the school board from nine members to seven.

The most unique local referendum probably came from the Town of Webb Central School District where voters approved the purchase of a compact wheel loader for up to $80,000.

Across the state, voters approved 97.3% of budgets on Tuesday, according to preliminary results from the New York State School Boards Association. The average tax levy increased by 2.58% across the state while proposed spending, on average, grew by 3.6%, according to the association.

"Voters understand that their boards of education are crafting spending plans that maximize student services and programs,” association Executive Director Robert Schneider said in a release, “while balancing the ability of their local taxpayers to pay."

In local school board elections, only two incumbents were defeated in the districts that reported results to the O-D. In the Mt. Markham Central School District, challenger Elisa Gigliotti received more votes than incumbent Tom Huxtable and incumbent Cynthia Miller. The two open seats went to Gigliotti and Huxtable. 

And incumbent Amy Mayo lost her seat to Paul Piersma in the Oriskany Central School District.

Across the state, 60% of winning candidates in 508 of the state’s districts were incumbents, according to the school board association’s preliminary data.

New York State United Teachers did its own analysis of the school vote results and concurred that 97% of budgets passed. It also found that 84% of winning school board candidates were endorsed by unions. And 73 candidates elected to local school boards belong to NYSUT.

“Today our public schools are doing more than ever,” NYSUT President Melinda Person said in a release. “Not only do they provide world-class education with innovative programs and experiences, they are also supporting the physical, mental, social and emotional needs of our students and their families.

“Investments in our school budgets and dedication in our school boards are vital to the future of our state. Tuesday’s results show that voters agree.”

Oneida County

Camden Central School District

$59.8 million budget: 1,219-371

Student transport proposition: 1,121-469

School board — 2, 3-year seats:

Lindsey Burdick: 614

Thomas Fanning (incumbent): 983

Scott Piersall-Leuenberger: 562

Randi Swancott (incumbent): 1,031

Clinton Central School District

Budget: 387-57

Library tax levy: 378-67

School board — 2, 3-year seats

Orlando Guitian: 332

Melinda Leising: 364

Holland Patent Central School District

Budget: 507-175

Bus proposition: 507-173

Student school board member proposition: 599-82

Library proposition (Holland Patent, Prospect and Barneveld libraries): 528-152

School board — 1 seat

Colt Brumm: 256

Bill Paolozzi (incumbent): 406

New Hartford Central School District

$64.4 million budget: 1,168-458

School bus purchase proposition: 1,171-450

School board — 2, 5-year seats:

Jeffrey Kolb: 683

Louis Shkane: 298

Kim Strong: 798

Robert Roberts III: 534

Andrew Ward: 614

Oriskany Central School District

Budget: 233-72

Library proposition: 248-52

School board — 1, 3-year term:

Paul Piersma: 187

Amy Mayo (incumbent): 115

Rome City School District

Budget: 587-417

Capital improvement proposition: 610-385

Proposition to decrease number of school board seats from 9 to 7: 552-459

Proposition for Fort Stanwix School auction: 883-130

School board — 3, 3-year seats

Jennifer Campos: 724

Anna Megerell: 453

Nadia Rashid: 676

Kirstin Safin (incumbent): 685

Utica City School District

$2.7 million budget: 1,309-422

Capital project proposition: 1,374-325

Capital reserve proposition: 1,326-389

Library proposition: 1,371-405

School board — 1, 5-year seat

Stephanie Anderson: 201

Brian Guca: 572

Braedon Nanna: 1,085

Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School District

Budget: 581-307

Bus proposition: 619-265 (Needed 70% of vote to pass: 618.8)

School board — 1, 5-year seat:

Melissa Elias: 453

John Libby: 352

Waterville Central School District

$22.2 million budget: 266-93

Bus purchase proposition: 265-96

Waterville Library tax levy: 281-80

C.W. Clark Memorial Library tax levy: 286-74

School board — 2, 3-year seats:

Kenneth Boone (incumbent): 193

Linda Hughes-Kelly: 178

Katelyn Worwa: 292

Whitesboro Central School District

Budget: 772-207

Bus proposition: 748-225

Dunham Public Library budget: 755-221

School board — 3, 3-year seats:

Michael Head (incumbent): 646

Mary Karboski: 570

Thomas Schoen Jr (incumbent): 677

Steven Szatko (incumbent): 645

Herkimer County

Central Valley Central School District

Budget: 313-34

Capital reserve fund proposition: 302-37

School board — 2, 3-year seats:

Jim Kramas: 204

Rick Virkler: 187

Dolgeville Central School District

Budget: 265-112

Bus purchase proposition: 301-98

Capital reserve fund proposition: 280-97

Library tax levy: 274-106

School board — 3 seats:

Mary Devery: 104

Rich Ford: 181

David Grossman: 78

Heather Lamphere: 160

Emily Roswell: 49

James “Bob” Schmid (incumbent): 183

Craig Spofford: 62

Jennifer Winkler:193

Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District

Budget: 183-50

Frankfort Free Library proposition: 198-36

School board — 1 seat

Jack Bono (incumbent): 208

Herkimer Central School District

$33.9 million budget: 179-32

Capital reserve fund proposition: 177-32

Frank J. Basloe Public Library tax levy: 181-31

School board — 1, 3-year seat:

Michele Gilbert (incumbent): 186

Little Falls City School District

Budget: 240-66

School bus purchase proposition: 249-56

Land sale proposition: 255-47

Library tax levy: 248-55

School board — 2, 3-year seats

Joseph Finkst Jr (incumbent)

Frank Mendl (incumbent)

Mt. Markham Central School District

Budget: 265-60

Library tax levy: 276-47

School board — 2, 3-year seats:

Elisa Gigliotti: 227

Tom Huxtable (incumbent): 213

Cynthia Miller (incumbent): 170

Poland Central School District

$18 million budget: 102-24

School board — 1, 5-year seat:

Megan Dischiavi: 109

Town of Webb Union Free School District

Budget: 183-51

Compact wheel loader purchase proposition: 176-57

School board — 1, 5-year seat:

Diane Heroux (incumbent): 219

Owen D. Young Central School District

Budget: 64-12

Bus purchase proposition: 59:15

School board — 1, 3-year seat

Holly Pullis (incumbent): 55

Madison County

Madison Central School District

Budget: 88-30

School board — 2, 4-year seats:

Laura Billings (incumbent): 74

Jona Snyder (incumbent): 94

Morrisville-Eaton Central School District

Budget: 376-176

Transportation proposition: 398-152

Morrisville Public Library proposition: 290-260

School board — 2, 3-year seats

Megan Dooley (incumbent): 420

Nichole Doroshenko: 239

Steven Broedel (incumbent): 373

Stockbridge Valley Central School District

$13.4 million budget: 142-31

School board — 3 seats

Evalyn Brazeau: 40

Kristin Guinto (incumbent): 109

Carol Marshall (incumbent): 115

Kayla Roberts: 102

Jonathan Strain (incumbent): 113

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: School elections in Oneida, Herkimer, eastern Madison counties