Public hearing for Berlin Central School District budget on May 7, 2026.

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SCHOOL BUDGET HEARING, BUDGET VOTE AND ELECTION

BERLIN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

COUNTY OF RENSSELAER, NEW YORK

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a public hearing of the qualified voters of the Berlin Central School District (the "District"), Rensselaer County, New York, will be held at the Berlin Middle School/High School Building in said District on May 7, 2026, at 7:15 PM prevailing time, for the purpose of presenting the budget for the 2026-2027 school year.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that a copy of the statement of the amount of money that will be required to fund the District's budget for 2026 - 2027, exclusive of public monies, may be obtained by any resident of the District during business hours on each day except Saturday, Sunday or holidays, during the fourteen days immediately preceding the Annual Meeting, at each of the following schools:

Berlin Middle High School

Berlin Elementary School

A copy of the detailed statement of estimated expenditures will also be made available at the Budget Hearing on May 7, 2026, and at the Annual Meeting on May 19, 2026.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that the Annual Meeting of the qualified voters of the Berlin Central School District, Rensselaer County, New York, including the vote upon the appropriation of the necessary funds to meet the estimated expenditures for school purposes for the 2026-2027 school year and the voting for members of the Board of Education, and any other business that may legally come before this meeting, will be held in the Ber- lin Elementary School in said District on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, between the hours of NOON and 9 PM, prevailing time.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that any qualified voter who desires to sub- mit a proposition to be voted upon at the Annual Meeting, except as to a question or proposition required by law to be stated in the published or posted notice of meeting, shall file with the Board of Education a petition setting forth such proposition, not less than thirty (30) days (by no later than 5:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time, on Monday, April 20, 2026) prior to the Annual Meeting and Election and such petition shall be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District, or two percent (2%) of the voters who voted in the previous Annual Meeting and Election, which- ever is greater.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the Board of Education approves the following propositions and such propositions shall appear on the ballot for the voters' consideration at the Annual Meeting:

PROPOSITION #1 - BERLIN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 2026-2027 BUDGET NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following propo- sition and shall submit such proposition to the voters at the May 19, 2026, Annual Meeting and include such proposition in the District's Notice of Pub- lic Hearing, Annual Meeting, Budget Vote and Election:

Shall the following resolution be adopted, to wit:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Berlin Central School District, Rensselaer County, be authorized to make the expenditures shown in the budget presented by the Board of Education for the 2026-2027 school year.

PROPOSITION #2 - BUS PURCHASE

NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education approves the following proposition and shall submit such proposition to the voters at the May 19, 2026, Annual Meeting and include such proposition in the District's Notice of Public Hear- ing, Annual Meeting, Budget Vote and Election:

Shall the following resolution be adopted, to wit:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Berlin Central School District is hereby authorized to (1) acquire in fiscal year 2026 2027 two (2) 66 pas- senger school buses at a cost not to exceed $355,000 which is estimated to be the maximum cost thereof, (2) expend such sums for such purpose, (3) levy the tax necessary therefor, to be levied and collected in annual install- ments in such years and in such amounts as may be determined by the Board of Education, taking into account state aid received, and (4) in an- ticipation of the collection of such tax, to issue bonds and notes of the Dis- trict at one time or from time to time in the principal amount not to exceed $355,000, or enter into a lease-purchase agreement at a principal amount not to exceed $355,000 to acquire such vehicles. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that petitions nominating candidates for the office of members of the Board of Education shall be filed with the District Clerk at the Superintendent's Office in the Berlin Middle School/High School during regular business hours not later than 5 PM prevailing time, April 20, 2026. Each petition shall be directed to the District Clerk and shall be signed by at least 25 voters of the District, or two percent of the voters who voted in the previous Annual Meeting, whichever is greater. The petition must state the name and residence of each signer, and must state the name and residence of the candidate.

Vacancies on the Board of Education are not considered separate, specif- ic offices; candidates run at-large. For 2026, there are two (2) Board seats available which are for three-year terms, commencing July 1, 2026, and end- ing June 30, 2029, for seats currently held by the following Board of Educa- tion members: Derrick Gardner and Frank J. Zwack.

At-Large Voting: the two candidates with the highest amount of votes will fill the two vacant positions.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that consistent with Section 2018-a of the N.Y. Education Law, applications for absentee ballots may be applied for at the office of the District Clerk. Such applications for absentee ballots may be obtained between the hours of 9 AM and 3 PM prevailing time, Monday through Friday, except holidays, from the District Clerk. Completed applica- tions must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) days before the Annual Meeting if the absentee ballot is to be mailed to the voter (May 12, 2026), or the day before the Annual Meeting (May 18, 2026), if the ballot is to be picked up personally by the voter. Absentee ballots must be re- ceived by the District Clerk not later than 5 PM, prevailing time on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. A list of persons to whom absentee ballots have been issued will be available for inspection in the office of the District Clerk between the hours of 9 AM and 3 PM prevailing time until May 19, 2026, and will also be available at the polling place at the Annual Meeting.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that military voters who are qualified voters of the District may apply for a military ballot. A military voter may desig- nate a preference to receive a military ballot application by mail, facsim- ile transmission or electronic mail in their request for registration, ballot application, or ballot. Applications for military ballots will be obtainable between the hours of 9 AM and 3 PM, Monday through Friday, except holi- days, from the District Clerk. Completed applications must be received by the District Clerk by 5 PM, prevailing time on Thursday, April 23, 2026, the twenty-sixth day before the election. Military ballots must be received by the District Clerk not later than 5 PM, prevailing time on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. A list of persons to whom military ballots are issued will be available for inspection in the office of the District Clerk between the hours of 9 AM and 3 PM prevailing time.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that consistent with Section 2018-e of the N.Y. Education Law, applications for early mail ballots may be applied for at the office of the District Clerk. Such applications must be received by the District Clerk no earlier than thirty (30) days before the Annual Meeting and Election (April 19, 2026) and at least seven (7) days before the Annual Meet- ing and Election if the Early Mail Ballot is to be mailed to the voter (May 12, 2026) OR the day before the Annual Meeting and Election (May 18, 2026) if the ballot is to be picked up personally by the voter. Early Mail Ballots must be received in the office of the District Clerk not later than 5 PM prevailing time, on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. A list of all persons to whom Early Mail Bal- lots shall have been issued will be available for inspection in the office of the District Clerk during regular office hours of 9 AM and 3 PM prevailing time until May 19, 2026 and at the polling place during the hours of the An- nual Meeting.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that qualified voters of the District shall be entitled to vote at said annual vote and election. A qualified voter is one who is (1) a citizen of the United States of America, (2) eighteen years of age or older, and (3) resident within the District for a period of thirty (30) days next preceding the Annual Meeting. The District may require all per- sons offering to vote at the Annual Meeting to provide one form of proof of residency consistent with Education Law 2018-c. Such form may include a dri