Public hearing and election for Cheektowaga Central School District budget and board member.

ERIE COUNTY

PUBLIC NOTICE





CHEEKTOWAGA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

TOWN OF CHEEKTOWAGA

ERIE COUNTY, NEW YORK






NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL MEETING & ELECTION OF THE

CHEEKTOWAGA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT






NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing for the qualified voters of the Cheektowaga Central School District (the “District”) will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., at the Raymond L. Carr Board Room of the High School located at 3600 Union Road, Cheektowaga, New York, for the presentation of the District’s proposed budget for the 2026-2027 school year.




TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the Annual School District Meeting and Vote of the District (the “Annual Meeting and Vote”) will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., in the Raymond L. Carr Board Room of the High School located at 3600 Union Road, Cheektowaga, New York, to vote, by paper ballot or voting machine, for the purposes of: (i) electing one (1) member of the Board of Education of the District (the “Board”); (ii) voting on the District’s proposed budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year; and (iii) for the transaction of such other business as may be authorized by law.




TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the qualified voters of the District shall be entitled to vote at said Annual Meeting and Vote. A qualified voter is one who is (1) a citizen of the United States of America, (2) eighteen (18) years of age or older, (3) resident within the District for a period of thirty (30) days next preceding the Annual Meeting and Vote and (4) not otherwise disqualified from voting in school district elections. The District may require all persons offering to vote at the Annual Meeting and Vote to provide one form of proof of residency pursuant to Education Law Section 2018-c. Such form may include a driver’s license, a non-driver identification card, a utility bill or a voter registration card, upon offer of proof of residency the District may also require all persons offering to vote to provide their signatures, printed names and addresses.




TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that voting at the Annual Meeting and Vote shall consist of voting on one (1) member of the Board, the proposed budget, and voting on the following propositions, as well as other such matters as may be lawfully presented at the meeting:

PROPOSITION NO. 1




BUDGET FOR CHEEKTOWAGA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 2026-2027




Shall the following resolution be adopted?

RESOLVED , that the budget for the Cheektowaga Central School District (the “District”) for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027, as presented by the Board of Education of the District, is hereby approved and adopted and the required funds therefore are hereby appropriated and the necessary real property taxes required shall be raised by a tax on the taxable property of the District to be levied and collected as required by law.




TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that an election for members of the Board shall be held to fill one (1) at-large position on the Board resulting from the expiration, on June 30, 2026, of the term of Yvonne Douglass. The candidates receiving the highest vote total will be elected to a five (5) year term commencing July 1, 2026 and ending on June 30, 2031.




TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that all candidates for the office of member of the Board shall be nominated by petition. Each petition shall be directed to the District Clerk, shall be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District and shall state the residence of each signer and the name and residence of the candidate. Each petition shall be filed in the office of the District Clerk during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) or as directed, and not later than 5:00 p.m. on April 20, 2026, which is the Monday following the thirtieth day before the Annual Meeting and Vote. Nominating petitions may be obtained in the office of the District Clerk located in the Central Administrative Office at the District’s High School having an address of 3600 Union Road, Cheektowaga, New York, during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (except holidays).




TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that pursuant to District Policy 1210, qualified voters may either vote by voting machine or paper ballot to submit their vote on the budget, on all propositions, and on the election of the member(s) of the Board.




TAKE FURTHER NOTICE , that pursuant to a rule adopted by the Board under §§2035 and 2008 of the Education Law, any referenda or propositions to amend the budget, or otherwise to be submitted for voting at the Annual Meeting and Vote must comply with the Board’s adopted rules set forth in District Policy 1650. However, the Board will not entertain any petition to place before the voters any proposition the purpose of which is not within the powers of the voters to determine, or any proposition which fails to include a specific appropriation where the proposition requires the expenditure of monies. Printed copies of the policy are available at the office of the District Clerk located in the Central Administrative Office at the District’s High School having an address of 3600 Union Road, Cheektowaga, New York.




TAKE FURTHER NOTICE , that the Board will have prepared and completed a detailed statement in writing of the amount of money which will be required during the District’s 2026-2027 fiscal year for school purposes, specifying the several purposes and the amount for each. Copies of such statement will be available upon request to District residents from May 5, 2026 through May 19, 2026, during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, in the offices at the following schools, to wit: Cheektowaga Central High School, Cheektowaga Central Middle School, and Union East Elementary School.




TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that applications for absentee and early mail ballots may be obtained at the office of the District Clerk between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., except Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Completed applications must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) days before the Annual Meeting and Vote, if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or on the day before the Annual Meeting and Vote, if the ballot is to be issued personally to the voter at the office of the District Clerk. A list of all persons to whom absentee and early mail ballots shall have been issued will be available in the office of the District Clerk, where it shall be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., in the five (5) days preceding the Annual Meeting and Vote, except for Sunday, and said list will be posted at the polling place at the Annual Meeting and Vote. Any qualified voter may inspect such list and challenge the qualifications of any person on such list, by making his/her challenge and the reasons therefor known to the Inspector of the Election before the close of the polls. Absentee and early mail ballots must be received in the office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the Annual Meeting and Vote, May 19, 2026, in order to be canvassed and counted.




TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that military voters who are qualified voters of the District may apply for a military ballot by requesting an application from the District Clerk by email at jhedges@ccsd-k12.net or at the District Clerk’s office between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, exclusive of holidays. For a military voter to be issued a military ballot, the District Clerk must have received a valid ballot application no later than 5:00 pm on April 23, 2026. In a request for a military ballot application or ballot, the military voter may indicate their preference for receiving the application or ballot by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail. If no designation is indicated, the application and ballot will be transmitted by mail. Irrespective of the preferred method of transmission designated by a military voter, a military voter’s original military ballot application and military ballot must be returned by mail or in person to the office of the District Clerk located in the Central Administrative Office at the District’s High School having an address of 3600 Union Road, Cheektowaga, New York, and received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 to be canvassed and counted.




BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Cheektowaga Central School District

Town of Cheektowaga, County of Erie

Jessica Hedges, District Clerk

3600 Union Road

Cheektowaga, NY 14225




DATED: February 27, 2026