Eastchester School District Proposes Budget Increase

The Eastchester Union Free School District is proposing a budget of $70,903,000 for the 2016-17 school year. That's a 2.6 percent increase, or $2,100,000, over the school district's 2015-16 budget.

Since the proposed tax levy increase is 1.63 percent, the budget is in compliance with the New York State tax levy cap.

The budget's funding priorities include:

• Managing the impact of enrollment growth
• Maintaining and/or reducing class size
• Supplementing academic support services
• Enhancing existing instructional and extra-curricular programs
• Providing new instructional and extra-curricular programs
• Meeting infrastructure needs
  
• Adding some additional staff positions. Some positions are based on program needs; others are based on the need to accommodate enrollment growth

Five candidates are also running for four Board of Education positions. They are Mary Messner Martin, Sally Veltidi, Steven Projansky, Judah Holstein, Cheryl Smith

Residents can vote from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 17 at the Middle School Gym or the Garth Road Community Center.