WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. May 21, 2008: The voters of White Plains passed the City School District 2008-2009 budget Tuesday by the slenderest margin in years Tuesday, 1,107 votes to 1,002, a passing margin of 5%. The $184.4 Million budget passed in all districts except  Battle Hill. The number of voters voting on the budget  yesterday was 515 more than 2007 (2, 109 compared to 1,594 voters in 2007).

Rosemarie Eller (right) won her second three year term on the Board  and  Dr. Randy Stein was elected to her first. Eller polled 1,401 votes, Stein, 1,262 and Charles Morgan, 886.

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors told WPCNR, “We’re certainly pleased the budget passed we understand the difficult economic times we’re in and we appreciate the support of the community as we move forward in the coming fiscal year. Congratulations to the candidates. I thought all three candidates were really fine people, and we look forward to working with and thank Mr. Pollak for his service.”

I asked him what the closeness of the vote signified to him. Connors said “When you’re paying $4 a gallon at the gas pumps, you’re worried about every dollar, I can understand that.”

I asked how negotiations with the teachers union were progressing. “We’re mindful of the times we’re in.” Connors said he could not put a timetable on when he expected the negotiations would be completed, only “in the coming weeks.”

Asked if he would begin strategies on the next budget, Connors said, “What we need to do is get into the next fiscal year and see what that brings. We hope the economy strengthens and people are feeling more comfortable and that there will be some resolution of state aid.”

Asked if he would direct more conservation in ongoing spending even though it is budgeted, Connors said, “We do that all the time. We’re looking at everything, thinking how we can cut back. If you look at the record, you’ll see we’ve always looking  and always mindful of saving dollars where we can, and we are mindful of the times.”

Stein Eller Elected to the Board

Mrs. Eller commenting on her reelection to the Board said she was very proud to serve the district again and was looking forward to finding a new Superintendent who would “allign with our vision and our strategic plan. We worked very hard on it.” She said the district would have to “continue to seek ways to economize, and we have to evaluate our programs and not put old money in new programs.”

Ms. Stein said “I’m thrilled to be elected to the Board. I plan to use my time to learn. Fiscal responsibility is an issue. The vote (tonight) for the budget shows that.”

The unofficial vote counts by District indicate that the affluent south end  represented by the Highlands School, Mamaroneck Avenue School and Ridgeway School polling places carried the budget by margins of  52% to 48% at the Highlands Middle School (514 voters);  54% to 46% at Mamaroneck Avenue School (149 voters) and 51% to 49% at Ridgeway School where the largest turnout was (788 voters).

The North End of White Plains at Church Street School (where Eastview residents have to trek across town to vote), voted for the budget by the slimmest of margins, 6 votes, with the tally being 50.7% for and 49.3% against.

Rochambeau School Again Loves the School District.

Rochambeau  School in Fisher Hill provided a monster 50 vote margin for the budget, almost 50% of the winning margin.

 Fisher Hill is also the district that provided the margin of victory in the controversial Capital Project Bond issue in October 2006 (that paved the way for a new Post Road School in that neighborhood).  Rochambeau went against the character of the mixed voting trend across the city on the budget, voting  more than 2 to 1 for the budget (not close at all) with 69%  for and 31% against in 118 votes. In October, 2006 the Rochambeau School provided the precise margin of victory for the bond issue, 107 votes.  It also provided 57 of 64 Absentee Ballot Yes votes for the referendum that election from the Schnurmacher Nursing Home.

Battle Hill (Fire Station No. 2) turned the budget down by a very slim margin, 53% to 47% (136 voting)

Last year, the voters approved a larger increase in the budget by 59% to 41% (944 to 650).

The Unofficial 2008  School Budget Voting Results By District

 DISTRICT                                         YES      PCT.                   NO         PCT.    TOTAL    

1.Fire Station # 5                            64        47%                     72        53%         136

2. Church Street  School               205        50.7%              199         49.3%      404

3.Rochambeau School                    81         69%                   37         31%         118

4. Highlands Middle School          270         53%                 244         47%         514

5. Mamaroneck Ave School          81          54%                  68           46%         149

6. Ridgeway School                      406          52%                  382         48%         788

TOTAL                                            1,107        52%                 1,002       48%         2,109

Matching the District Map with the  Unofficial Budget Results Shows the budget was most closely contested in District 2, approved by only 6 votes, and defeated in Battle Hill, District 1. Rochambeau, District 3 approved it 2 to 1, against the close trend of the vote, while Districts 4, 5 and 6, White Plains Southend approved by less than 5%. A very close vote.