Public hearing for the 2026-2027 school budget proposal.

ERIE COUNTY

LEGAL NOTICE





NOTICE

PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING, ANNUAL DISTRICT MEETING & ELECTION

Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District

Erie County, New York

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District (the “District”) will hold a public hearing for qualified voters to present the District’s proposed budget of the necessary funds to meet estimated expenditures for the 2026-2027 fiscal year for school purposes on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. (EST) at the Kenmore Junior/Senior High School Board Room, 155 Delaware Rd., Kenmore, New York.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that pursuant to Section 1716 of the Education Law, the Board of Education of the District (the “Board”) will have prepared and completed a detailed statement in writing of the amount of money which will be required for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, for school purposes, exclusive of public moneys, specifying the several purposes and the amount of each, and copies of such statement will be available, upon request, to District residents during the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (EST) on or after May 5, 2026 through and including May 19, 2026 (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays), at each of the school buildings in the District, at the District’s Administration Building, 1500 Colvin Boulevard, Town of Tonawanda, New York, and at the voting location.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the Annual School District Meeting and Election of the District (the “Annual Meeting and Election”) will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. (EST) at Herbert Hoover Middle School, 249 Thorncliff Road, Town of Tonawanda for the purposes of voting, by voting machine, on: (1) the District’s proposed budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027; (2) a proposition to authorize the purchase of vehicles; (3) a proposition to authorize the renaming of the Kenmore East Baseball Field (4) the election of two (2) members of the Board of Education; and transacting such other business as authorized by law or rules of the Board, as follows:




PROPOSITION NO. 1

2026-2027 BUDGET




Shall the following resolution be adopted?

RESOLVED, that the budget for the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District (the “District”) for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027, as presented by the Board of Education, 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 in the District to be levied and collected as required by law.




PROPOSITION NO. 2

Acquisition of School Buses and

Similar Vehicles (and Related Equipment)




Shall the following resolution be adopted?

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District, Erie County, New York (the “District”), is hereby authorized to purchase school buses and similar vehicles (and related equipment) for use in the transportation program of the District, at an estimated maximum cost of $1,400,000, (with such estimated maximum cost reflecting the value of any trade-ins) and to expend therefor an aggregate sum not to exceed $1,400,000; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the sum of $1,400,000 (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 be it further

RESOLVED, that in anticipation of such tax, bonds or other obligations (including, without limitation, obligations arising under leases, lease/purchase contracts or installment purchase contracts) of the District shall be issued or entered into in accordance with applicable provisions of New York State law; and be it further

RESOLVED, that New York State Transportation Aid funds expected to be received by the District as well as Federal, State, County and/or local funds including, but not limited to rebates 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.




PROPOSITION NO. 3

RENAMING OF THE KENMORE EAST

BASEBALL FIELD




Shall the following resolution be adopted?

RESOLVED, that the renaming of the Kenmore East Baseball Field will be presented for a vote at such meeting; and be it further

RESOLVED, that pursuant to Policy 3111, the Board of Education of the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District established procedures for the naming of District facilities; and be it further

RESOLVED, that in accordance with such procedures, a committee was formed to consider a request to change the name of the Kenmore East Baseball Field, and upon careful and thorough consideration in accordance with such procedures, the committee has recommended that the Kenmore East Baseball Field be renamed "The Robert A. Marafino Baseball Field" to reflect the service of former baseball coach Robert Marafino; and be it further

RESOLVED, that in order to rename the Kenmore East Baseball Field, the procedures require District voters to approve a proposition to rename the facility, and the procedures also require the Board of Education, by a supermajority vote, to support the submission of the proposition to the District voters; and be it further

RESOLVED, that therefore, the Board of Education of the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District is hereby authorized to rename the Kenmore East Baseball Field "The Robert A. Marafino Baseball Field".




TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that an election for members of the Board shall be held to fill two (2) at-large positions on the Board. The two (2) candidates who receive the largest number of votes shall be elected to a full three (3) year term commencing July 1, 2026 and expiring June 30, 2029.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that pursuant to Section 2018 of the Education Law, all candidates for the office of member of the Board shall be nominated by petition. Each petition shall be filed in the Office of the District Clerk, 1500 Colvin Boulevard, Town of Tonawanda, New York, Monday through Friday (except holidays) between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (EST), not later than Monday, April 20, 2026. Vacancies on the Board are not considered separate, specific offices; candidates run at large. Nominating petitions shall not describe any specific vacancy upon the Board for which the candidate is nominated; must be directed to the Clerk of the District; must be signed by 25 qualified voters; must state the name and residence of each signer, and must state the name and residence of the candidate. Candidates must be a qualified voter of the District and have been a resident in the District for at least one year prior to the Annual Meeting and Election.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that applications for early mail and absentee ballots can be obtained between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday, (except holidays) from the Office of the District Clerk, 1500 Colvin Boulevard, Town of Tonawanda, New York. Completed applications must be received by the District Clerk or her designee at least seven (7) days before the Annual Meeting and Election (May 12, 2026) if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the Annual Meeting and Election (May 18, 2026) if the ballot is to be personally issued to the voter. Completed early mail and absentee ballots must be received in the Office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. (EST) on May 19, 2026.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that a list of persons to whom early mail and absentee ballots are issued will be available for inspection to qualified voters of the District in the Office of the District Clerk on and after May 14, 2026 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday (except holidays). Any qualified voter may, upon examination of such list, file a written challenge of the qualifications of any person whose name appears on such list, stating the reasons for such challenge. Such written challenge shall be transmitted by the clerk to the Chief Election Inspector by the closing of the polls on May 19, 2026.

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 receive a valid ballot application no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 23, 2026. In a request for a military ballot application and/or a military ballot, the military voter may indicate a preference for receiving the application or ballot by mail, facsimile, or electronic mail.

DATED: MARCH 10, 2026

Gina Santa Maria

To be published: 4/2, 4/16, 4/30, 5/14 – Ken-Ton Bee

District Clerk