Feedback: Potsdam and Norwood-Norfolk School Budgets Defeated by Narrow Margins

The narrow defeat of two St. Lawrence County school budgets was disappointing to school administrators who partially blame the rejections on a recent jump in property assessments in the town of Potsdam.

Potsdam School Superintendent Patrick Brady says he will recommend the $26 million spending plan either be revised somewhat or resubmitted as is for another vote in June.

Brady says the Board of Education’s Finance Committee will meet within the next few days to decide what the next option will be.

“We’ll be going back and looking at our revenues, looking if there’s some areas that we can possibly make some modifications,” Brady said.

The defeated budget, turned down by just 14 votes, would have raised the tax levy 4 percent.

At Norwood-Norfolk Central School the vote was even closer.

With a margin of 10 votes leading to the budget’s defeat, that spending plan eliminated five teaching positions.

Both budget defeats come little more than a month after the Town of Potsdam’s revaluation of more than 5,500 properties that significantly raised assessments.

The Norwood-Norfolk school district is also embroiled in a contract dispute with teachers who are concerned over possible job cuts.

“It’s very difficult to help the students achieve their level of success if we don’t have that opportunity and enough bodies to make sure that the academics are covered,” said Lynn Treers, president of the teacher’s union.

School Superintendent Elizabeth Kirnie says officials are looking at exit polls to determine what voter concerns were.

“We have a divided community. We’re not getting one single clear message so it’s going to be a challenge for the board in the next week or two,” said Kirnie.

She says it’s too early to say whether the district will resubmit the budget as is, revise it with more spending cuts or turn to a contingency spending plan.

John Friot reports:

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