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With 1,056 voting in favor of the spending plan and 267 voting against it, the budget passed with a 79.8 percent margin, according to results provided by the district.
"The Briarcliff Board of Education thanks the community for its support of the revised budget for the 2013-14 school year. Despite some difficult decisions made regarding reductions, the revised budget preserves a quality education program, including several non-mandated opportunities which our children enjoy," the board said in a statement. "We are appreciative of the community's participation and input throughout the process."
The revised and reduced $46.8 million budget was up for a revote Tuesday, after the district’s original spending plan was turned down by voters last month.
The revised budget shows a 1.82 percent decrease in spending from the 2012-13 adopted budget. The tax levy, the amount to be raised by taxes, would be $38,816,955 – an increase of 3.15 percent from last year. The school district’s tax levy cap was set at 3.18 percent so the levy falls within the limit, unlike the original proposal that would have exceeded the state mandated tax levy cap. The new revised spending proposal eliminates 20 full-time equivalent teaching assistants at Todd Elementary School, 7 1/2 middle school full-time equivalent teachers (which includes one retiring math teacher who will not be replaced), among other staffing cuts throughout the district. The former budget presented to Briarcliff district voters that was rejected on May 21 totaled $47.4 million and offered a tax levy increase of nearly 6 percent. It was turned down with 805 supporting votes and 763 opposing votes, failing to gain the 60 percent supermajority it needed to pass. The revote requires only a simple majority. The full budget breakdown can be viewed online.
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