Public hearing for the City School District's budget and capital improvements project.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING AND ELECTION OF THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF LOCKPORT PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Annual Meeting, Vote and Election (the “Annual Vote and Election”) for qualified voters of the City School District of the City of Lockport, Niagara County, New York (the “District”) will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, between the hours of 12:00 noon and 9:00 p.m., for the purposes of: (i) electing four (4) at-large members of the Board of Education of the District (the “Board”) to fill three (3) vacancies created by the expiration, on June 30, 2026 of the terms of Thomas J. Gray, Alex Lamont and Joseph J. Runfola, II, and one (1) vacancy created by the resignation of Michael P. Ferraro; (ii) voting on the budget of the District for the 2026-2027 fiscal year; (iii) the 2026 Capital Improvements Project, and (iv) transacting such other business as may be authorized by law. ALSO TAKE NOTICE that a public hearing will be held for the qualified voters of the District at the District's Administration Building located at 130 Beattie Avenue, Lockport, New York, on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 6:00 p.m., for the presentation of the District's proposed 2026-2027 budget and the transaction of other business as authorized by the Education Law. ALSO TAKE NOTICE that voting to be conducted at the Annual Vote and Election will consist of voting on the following propositions, and on such other propositions as may be authorized by law and the rules of the Board: PROPOSITION NO. 1 2026-2027 EXPENDITURE BUDGET Shall the following resolution be adopted? RESOLVED, that the proposed budget for the City School District of the City of Lockport for the 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 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 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT, 2026 YesNo Shall the following bond resolution of the Board of Education of the City School District of the City of Lockport, Niagara County, New York (the “District”) be approved? A BOND RESOLUTION, DATED MARCH 17, 2026, OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF LOCKPORT, NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK (THE “DISTRICT”), AUTHORIZING THE DISTRICT (1) TO UNDERTAKE (SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE VOTERS OF THE DISTRICT) A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT CONSISTING OF THE RECONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION, IN PART, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF IMPROVEMENTS AND UPGRADES TO VARIOUS DISTRICT BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES AND THE SITES THEREOF (COLLECTIVELY, THE “PROJECT”), AT AN ESTIMATED MAXIMUM COST OF $17,500,000; (2) TO EXPEND OR APPLY TOWARD THE PROJECT (DURING THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR OF THE DISTRICT) (A) THE ENTIRE REMAINING BALANCE (WHICH STOOD AT APPROXIMATELY $6,633,144 AS OF MARCH 2026) FROM THE DISTRICT'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS RESERVE FUND - 2018, THEN TO TERMINATE SUCH RESERVE FUND AND (B) $4,423,624 FROM THE DISTRICT'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS RESERVE FUND - 2025 AND (C) $303,792 OF AVAILABLE FUNDS OF THE DISTRICT (3) TO ISSUE SERIAL BONDS OF THE DISTRICT IN AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $6,139,440 TO FINANCE THE BALANCE OF THE COST OF THE PROJECT, AND DELEGATING THE POWER TO ISSUE BOND ANTICIPATION NOTES IN ANTICIPATION OF THE SALE OF SUCH OBLIGATIONS TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE DISTRICT. ALSO TAKE NOTICE that an Environmental Assessment Form has been completed for the Project described in Proposition No. 2 (collectively, the “Project”), which is a Type I Action under SEQRA, a thorough review of the Project's potential environmental impacts has been undertaken, it has been found that the Project will not result in a significant adverse impact on the environment, and a written, reasoned elaboration of the SEQRA determination of significance has been provided in a Negative Declaration. ALSO TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Section 1716 of the Education Law, the Board will have prepared and completed a detailed statement in writing of the amount of money which will be required for the ensuing fiscal year 2026-2027, for school purposes, exclusive of public monies, specifying the several purposes and the amount of each, and the copies of such statement will be available during the fourteen (14) days immediately preceding the Annual Vote and Election except Saturday, Sunday, and holidays at each schoolhouse in the District in which school is maintained and at the District Office located at 130 Beattie Avenue, Lockport, New York, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m., or by calling 716-478-4828. The mandated components are also on the District website: www.lockportschools.org. Copies of such statement shall also be available on the day of the Annual Vote and Election at each polling place. ALSO TAKE NOTICE that the polls for the Annual Vote and Election will be open at 12:00 noon and remain open to the reception of votes until 9:00 p.m., when they will be closed to any person not then in line to vote. The voting will be by the use of county voting machines as determined by the Board. The Board has adopted Rules for the Use of Voting Machines, printed copies of which, shall be made available to residents of the District, in the office of the District Clerk located in the Board of Education Administration Building having an address of 130 Beattie Avenue, Lockport, NY. The Annual Vote and Election will be conducted so far as possible in accordance with the laws governing general and municipal elections. ALSO TAKE NOTICE that all candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education shall be nominated by petition. Each petition must be directed to the District Clerk, must state the name and residence of the candidate, must be signed by at least one hundred (100) qualified voters of the District, and must include the residence of each petition signer. Each petition must be filed with the District Clerk not later than 5:00 p.m. on April 29, 2026. The candidates receiving the three highest vote totals will serve three-year terms commencing July 1, 2026 and expiring on June 30, 2029. The candidate receiving the fourth highest vote total shall be elected to a term to commence upon election and expiring June 30, 2027. Nominating petitions are available in the office of the District Clerk located in the Board of Education Administration Building having an address of 130 Beattie Avenue, Lockport, NY. ALSO TAKE NOTICE that the District's Board of Registration will meet in the Board Room at the District's Administration Building located at 130 Beattie Avenue, Lockport, New York, on May 5, 2026 between the hours of 12:00 noon and 7:00 p.m., for the preparation of registers of qualified voters. Any person otherwise qualified to vote who is not currently registered under permanent personal registration in the election district in which he or she resides, or who has moved to another residence within that district following the date of such registration, or who has not voted in a general election at least once in the last four successive calendar years should, in order to be entitled to vote, present himself or herself personally for registration or otherwise register at the Niagara County Board of Elections or, if such person has a New York driver's license, by filing an online application with the Department of Motor Vehicles by visiting: https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registration-application. Such register will be filed in the office of the District Clerk immediately upon completion and shall be open for public inspection between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday or by appointment each day up to May 19, 2026, at the office of the District Clerk in the Administration Building at 130 Beattie Avenue, Lockport, New York, during normal business hours each of the five (5) days immediately preceding the Annual Vote and Election, excluding Sundays, and at the polling places on the day of the Annual Vote and Election. ALSO TAKE NOTICE that military voters who are qualified voters of the District but are not currently registered to vote may request a military voter registration application from the District Clerk. Completed military voter registration application forms must be received in the office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 4, 2026. A military voter may indicate a preference for receiving a registration application by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail. ALSO TAKE NOTICE that military voters who are registered 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 pm on May 4, 2026. In a request for a milit