JAMESTOWN – Voters around the county will be heading to their local school polling places Tuesday to vote on next year’s school budget, along with candidates for their respective school boards.
In Jamestown, voters will act on the $90.7 million 2019-20 spending plan that includes no tax increase. There are also two school board seats up for election, but the election will be uncontested with only two incumbents – Patrick Slagle and Joe Pawelski – appearing on the ballot.
School Superintendent Bret Apthrope told WRFA last week he is still hoping for a good turnout on Tuesday, despite a non-controversial spending plan and no contested school board race. That mostly due to the school district incorporating new partnerships and collaborations with community partners for the upcoming school year.
“This budget has in it some unique and first time mechanisms of bringing resources to kids,” Apthorpe said. “We have in this budget lots of partnerships with youth agencies that support kids. We’re going down this road because we realize the supports that our kids need today are just, financially, not something that schools can do on their own.”
The main program where much of the collaborations will take hold is in the newly created Success Academy, which will open in September at the former Rogers School and assist approximately 75 students who are in need of additional and/or alternative help in order to improve their school performance.
In addition to the budget vote and school board election, Apthorpe said there are also propositions for bus purchases.
The school election and budget vote in Jamestown will run from noon to 9 p.m. at Lincoln Elementary School, Jefferson Middle School and Washington Middle School for registered voters.
For more information on the budget, visit the budget page of the school’s website.
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