School Budget Voting Today

Today is budget vote day and school districts across the region will be seeing their proposals heading to the ballots. In Owego, the Owego-Apalachin School District’s $42 million budget proposal will be calling for 21 position cuts, 13 through layoffs and eight through attrition. Superintendent Dr. Bill Russell says the tough changes in the budget are a result of a decline in state aid. Russell says that O-A is in the minority as it looks to decrease its budget from last year. The district also was hampered by a state-mandated tax levy limit well under one percent. Russell says that in the past the district has been able to avoid cuts by using money from the district’s reserves to offset the lack of state aid.He says that dipping into the district’s savings account is not a sustainable plan each year, resulting in this year’s budget calling for cuts. Voting will take place on the budget proposal at the Apalachin Elementary School and Owego Free Academy today from noon to eight o’clock.