Westmoreland, in Oneida County, was among 57 districts in which voters rejected school budgets, bucking a state trend that had 92 percent of districts voting yes on school budgets.
Districts can twice put proposed budgets before voters.
If voters reject the proposals, an austerity budget caps spending increases. The high success rate of budgets is fantastic, considering many of the spending plans had tax-rate increases for programs to meet the new higher state achievement standards as well as higher energy costs and employee health insurance. In some cases, a budget defeat did not mean a defeat for the local union. Gloversville TA members had not supported the proposed budget because of deep staffing cuts that hurt programs, said local president Lynne Raneri. Also, the administration had not taken the union up on any of its 40 suggestions.