Administrators keep fingers crossed as school district votes pour in

By By JOLEEN FERRIS

Story Created: May 20, 2008 at 4:45 PM EDT

Story Updated: May 20, 2008 at 5:17 PM EDT

UTICA - Voters throughout Central New York, made their way to the polls to decide on school budgets, and vacant school board seats.

In at least one major school district, the Superintendent hopes that no tax increase will mean no major opposition to the budget.

At General Herkimer Elementary School in North Utica, many people have voted in the five hours the polls have been open.

Gas prices are a major factor forcing just about everyone to watch pennies. But the $125 million budget in the Utica City School District does not carry a tax increase.

The school superintendent hopes that fact will ensure swift passage by a healthy margin.

But she learned last year that isn't always the case.

"Other tax increases, from the county level, city level and water board, etc., any of those increases the community doesn't vote on so we hope that doesn't reflect on our budget vote: we've kept it 0 last year and 0 tax increase this year," Superintendent Marilyn Skermont said.

Administrators are really keeping their fingers crossed; they don't want to break their 5 years streak - voters approved the budget the past five years from 2003 through 2007, with almost identical margins in 2006 and 2007.
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