Public Hearing — 2111 Girdle Road, Elma, New York

ERIE COUNTY

LEGAL NOTICE



NOTICE OF ANNUAL PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING, BUDGET VOTE, AND ELECTION

IROQUOIS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

TOWNS OF ELMA, MARILLA, WALES, AURORA, LANCASTER, COUNTY OF ERIE,

NEW YORK & BENNINGTON, COUNTY OF WYOMING, NEW YORK




NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a Public Hearing of the residents of Iroquois Central School District qualified to vote at school meetings in said District will be held at the Iroquois Middle School, 2111 Girdle Road, Elma, New York on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 6:30 P.M., prevailing time, for presentation of the Basic Budget for fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 and the expenditure of funds in connection therewith.




NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN, that the Annual School District Vote and Election will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 between the hours of 7:30 A.M. and 9:00 P.M. (prevailing time) in the gymnasium of the Iroquois Intermediate School Building, 2111 Girdle Road, Elma, New York for the purpose of (1) voting on a proposition to approve the Entire Educational Program Budget 2026-2027, (2) voting on a proposition for Purchase of Pupil Transportation Vehicles, (3) electing two members to the Board of Education and, (4) the transaction of such other business as is authorized by law. Voting machines will be used to record the vote on the budget, the election of two members of the Board of Education, and the propositions identified above.




NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN, that a statement of the amount of money which will be required to fund the School District’s budget for the 2026-2027 school year for school purposes, specifying the several purposes and the amount for each, may be obtained by any resident of the district during business hours beginning

May 1, 2026, except Saturday, Sunday, and holidays, from the hours of 8:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M., prevailing time, at each of the following schoolhouses of the District:




Iroquois Central High School, Iroquois Intermediate/Middle School, and School District

Central Offices - 2111 Girdle Road, Elma;

Elma Primary School - 711 Rice Road, Elma;

Marilla Primary School - 11683 Bullis Road, Marilla;

Wales Primary School - S-4650 Woodchuck Road, Wales Center.




NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN, that petitions nominating candidates for the office of Member of the Board of Education must be filed with the Clerk of the District, Iroquois Intermediate School Building, 2111 Girdle Road, Elma, New York, not later than April 20, 2026, at 5:00 P.M., prevailing time. Two candidates will be elected to a five (5) year term filling the vacancies created by the expiration on June 30, 2026, of the term of incumbent Board Members, Robert Barry and Heather Jacobs. A petition must be directed to the Clerk of the District, 2111 Girdle Road, Elma, New York, must be signed in ink by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District, shall legibly state the residence of each signer and shall legibly state the name and street address of the candidate, and include length of the term of office.




The business day next succeeding the filing date (April 21, 2026) at 9:00 A.M., prevailing time, the candidates shall appear in person or by proxy at the office of the District Clerk at the address noted above to determine by lot the order of candidates for placement on the voting machine. If a candidate or a candidate’s proxy does not appear, the District Clerk will act as proxy as required.




Candidates for the Board of Education are required to comply with New York State Law requiring candidates for election to the Board of Education to file statements of campaign expenses and contributions.

The complete details of this law are available to Board candidates from the Iroquois Central School District Clerk’s office.




NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN, that voting shall consist of voting on the following propositions and any other propositions authorized to be voted on by law:




PROPOSITION NO. 1 - ENTIRE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM BUDGET 2026-2027




Shall the following resolution be adopted, to wit:

RESOLVED, that the budget for the Iroquois Central School District, Erie County (the “District”) for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026, as presented by the Board of Education, is hereby approved and adopted, in an amount not to exceed $61,248,130 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 in said District to be levied and collected as required by law.




PROPOSITION NO. 2 - PURCHASE OF PUPIL TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES




Shall the following resolution be adopted, to wit:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Iroquois Central School District (the “District”) is hereby authorized to undertake the acquisition of three 63-passenger buses (at a maximum cost of $179,732 each), one 60-passenger, wheelchair lift-equipped bus (at a maximum cost of $213,547), and one 30-passenger cutaway bus (at a maximum cost of $114,031), for use in the transportation program of the District, and having a maximum aggregate cost of $866,774, less trade-in value, if any; and that such aggregate sum (or so much thereof as may be necessary) shall be raised by the levy of a tax to be collected in annual installments, with such tax to be partially offset by state transportation aid available and received therefore; and, in anticipation of such tax, debt obligations of the District shall be issued in an amount not to exceed $866,774, or the District may enter into a lease/purchase or installment purchase contract up to such stated amount, if the Board of Education determines that it is in the best interest of the District to finance the purchases using that method.




NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN, that applications may be submitted to the Clerk of the District, 2111 Girdle Road, P.O. Box 32, Elma, NY 14059 to receive an absentee ballot or early mail ballot for the May 19, 2026, Board Election and Budget Vote in accordance with law. Such applications shall be available starting April 21, 2026. Completed applications must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) days before the election, if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election if the ballot is to be personally delivered to the voter. All absentee and early mail ballots must be delivered to the Office of the Clerk of the District not later than 5:00 P.M., prevailing time, on the date of the Vote, May 19, 2026. A list of all persons to whom absentee and early mail ballots have been issued shall be available for inspection in the office of the District Clerk on each of the five (5) days prior to the District Vote, except Saturday and Sunday.




TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that military voters who are qualified voters of the school district may apply for a military ballot. Applications for military ballots may be obtained from the District Clerk’s Office and the military voter may designate a preference to receive the application by mail, fax, or email. Completed applications for military ballots must be received by the District Clerk or her designee by no later than 5:00 PM on April 23, 2026.




NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the qualified voters of the School 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 (18) years of age or older, (3) resident within the School District for a period of thirty (30) days next preceding the annual vote and election, and (4) not otherwise prohibited from voting pursuant to the Election Law. The School District requires all persons offering to vote at the budget vote and elections to provide one form of proof of residency pursuant to Education Law §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 School District also requires all persons offering to vote to provide their signature, printed name, and address.




FOR THE IROQUOIS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT OF ELMA, MARILLA, WALES, AURORA, LANCASTER, ERIE COUNTY, AND BENNINGTON, WYOMING COUNTY, NEW YORK

DAWN KUCERA, District Clerk