Public hearing and annual vote for Clarence Central School District budget.

ERIE COUNTY

PUBLIC NOTICE



CLARENCE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT



NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING AND 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL DISTRICT MEETING AND ELECTION




NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Education of Clarence Central School District (the “District”) shall hold a public hearing for the purpose of presenting a proposed District budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, which meeting shall be held at the Clarence High School, 9625 Main Street, Clarence, New York in the District, on Monday, May 11, 2026, at 6:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Savings Time.




NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that the annual meeting, election and vote (the “Annual Vote”) will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., prevailing time, at the Clarence High School Building, 9625 Main Street, Clarence, New York, for the purposes of voting on the appropriation of the necessary funds to meet the estimated expenditures for the District for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, the election of three (3) member(s) of the Board of Education, and upon certain other propositions.




NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that early mail and absentee ballots may be applied for at the office of the District Clerk up to thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Vote between the hours of 8:00 a.m., prevailing time and 4:00 p.m., prevailing time, except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Completed applications for such early mail and absentee ballots must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) days before the Annual Vote (if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter) or the day before the Annual Vote (if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter). No early mail and absentee voter’s ballot shall be canvassed unless it shall have been received in the office of the District Clerk by 5:00 P.M. on the day of the Annual Vote. A list of persons to whom early mail and absentee ballots are issued will be available for inspection in the office of the District Clerk between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. on at least the five days preceding the Annual Vote, except Sunday.




NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that the vote on the District budget, as presented by the Board of Education, will constitute Proposition No. 1.




NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that there will also be voted upon at said time and place Proposition No. 2 as follows:




RESOLVED:




(1) That the Board of Education of the Clarence Central School District, Erie County, New York (the “District”), is hereby authorized to purchase (A) school buses and similar vehicles (and related equipment) for use in the transportation program of the District, including two (2) seventy (70)-Passenger buses, at an estimated maximum cost of $366,254, and two (2) thirty-five (35)-Wheelchair buses, at an estimated maximum cost of $294,430, and two (2) thirty (30)-Passenger buses, at an estimated maximum cost of $202,124; and (B) two (2) Snow Plows/Salter for use in the construction and maintenance activities of the District at an estimated maximum cost of $132,000, (with such estimated maximum cost reflecting the value of any trade-ins), and to expend therefor an aggregate sum not to exceed $994,808; and



(2) That the sum of $994,808 (which may include certain up-front financing costs), plus an amount for interest thereon, shall be funded by the levy of a tax upon the taxable property of the District and collected in annual installments as provided by Section 416 of the Education Law; and



(3) That in anticipation of such tax, bonds or other obligations (including, without limitation, obligations arising under leases, lease/purchase contracts or installment purchase contracts having a term of not more than five years) of the District shall be issued or entered into in accordance with applicable provisions of New York State law; and



(4) That New York State Transportation Aid funds expected to be received by the District are anticipated to offset a substantial part of such costs, and such funds, to the extent received, shall be applied to offset and reduce the amount of taxes herein authorized to be levied.




NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that Propositions 1 and 2 will appear on the voting devices used at the Annual District Meeting and Election in substantially the following abbreviated forms:



PROPOSITION NO. 1



YES NO




Shall the following resolution be adopted?




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




PROPOSITION NO. 2



YES NO




Shall the following resolution be adopted?




RESOLVED (1) that the Board of Education of the Clarence Central School District, in the County of Erie, New York (the "District"), is hereby authorized to purchase school buses and similar vehicles for use in the transportation program of the District and to expend therefor, including amounts for related equipment, for preliminary costs and for costs incidental to such purchases, an amount not to exceed the estimated total maximum cost of $994,808; (2) that a tax is voted therefor in such amount, such tax to be levied and collected in installments; (3) that in anticipation of such tax, bonds or other obligations of the District are authorized to be issued to finance such purchases in the aggregate principal amount of not to exceed $994,808 and a tax is voted to pay the interest on said bonds or other obligations and (4) that New York State Transportation Aid funds expected to be received by the District are anticipated to offset a substantial part of such costs, and that such funds shall, to the extent received, be applied to offset and reduce the amount of taxes herein authorized to be levied.




NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that all candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education shall be nominated by petition. Petitions are available from the District Clerk between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., prevailing time, and must be filed in the office of the Clerk of the School District not later than 5:00 o'clock P.M. on Monday, April 20, 2026, that being the 30th day preceding said election. The election of members of the Board shall be held to fill three (3) at-large positions on the Board. The candidates receiving the three highest vote totals shall each be elected to three-year terms (commencing July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2029).




Each petition shall be directed to the Clerk of the School District, shall be signed by at least Twenty-Five (25) qualified voters of the District, shall state the residence of each signer and shall state the name and residence of the candidate.




NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that a detailed statement in writing of the school budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, will be available upon request to District residents at each school house in which school is maintained between the hours of 8:00 o'clock A.M. and 4:00 o'clock P.M. Eastern Daylight Saving Time on each day other than a Saturday, Sunday or holiday during the fourteen (14) days immediately preceding the budget hearing.


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. 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 p.m. on April 24, 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.




By Order of the Board of Education of

Clarence Central School District

Megan Sutton, District Clerk