Budgets OK'd in every district

St. Lawrence County school districts breathed a collective sigh of relief Tuesday, when, after months of wrangling with their budgets, every spending plan was approved by voters.

After a year of operating on contingency budgets, Potsdam and Norwood-Norfolk central schools got the thumbs up for their 2009-10 spending plans Tuesday.

Potsdam Central:The budget passed, 522-212. Voters also approved, 519-197, a proposition to purchase two buses at a cost not to exceed $190,000.

James A. Bunstone, 488 votes, and J. Patrick Turbett, 355 votes, ran unopposed for re-election to their three-year seats. Patrick J. Regan, 429 votes, ran unopposed for a third vacant seat.

Norwood-Norfolk Central:Voters approved the budget 242-135. Voters also authorized, 256-121, the purchase of two 60-passenger buses at a cost not to exceed $302,500 and one 21-passenger, wheelchair-accessible bus at a cost not to exceed $60,500.

The top vote-getters for four seats on the school board were Thomas Scott with 297 votes, George Fulk with 271 votes, Joe Kardash with 258 votes and George Blair with 195 votes. Jody Blair received 173 votes. Mr. Scott, Mr. Fulk and Mr. Kardash will take over the three-year seat while Mr. Blair will fill the remaining two years of a vacated seat.

Canton Central:Voters passed the budget 294-82. A separate bus bond proposition to spend $308,304 to purchase two full-size buses and one 35-passenger, wheelchair-equipped bus also passed, 309-62.

Three incumbent school board members were re-elected. Shannon Mattice and Victor Rycroft each received 304 votes and Marianne Dimarco-Temkin received 301.

Clifton-Fine Central:The budget passed, 237-135. A proposition to purchase one bus for no more than $105,000 also was approved, 286-88.

Elected to three seats on the board were Roxy J. Silsby with 275 votes, Denise J. Folsom with 253 votes and incumbent Brian P. Dolan with 228 votes. Sarah L. Leroux and Ronald J. Eibert received 144 and 148 votes, respectively.

Colton-Pierrepont Central:The budget passed 138-67. Jo Ann Roberts received 160 votes for a four-year Board of Education seat.

Edwards-Knox Central:Voters approved the budget 131-25. They also passed, 127-29, a proposal to spend up to $1.6 million to cover the rising cost of a biomass-burning boiler that is part of a renovation project.

Incumbent Teresa Hogle, 138 votes, and newcomer Malissa Hale, 134 votes, were elected to two five-year board seats.

Gouverneur Central:The budget passed, 278-77. A proposition to raise $8,700 annually for Richville Free Library also was approved, 266-85.

Elected to three seats on the board were incumbents Nancy J. Cappellino with 300 votes, Randy J. Slate with 299 votes and Dayle B. Burgess with 297 votes.

Hammond Central:The budget passed, 86-56. Incumbents Timothy Pitcher and Donald Ceresoli Jr. both were re-elected to the school board, with 105 and 114 votes, respectively.

Heuvelton Central:Voters passed the budget, 186-74. Voters also passed a spending proposal, not to exceed $95,000, for a new bus.

Incumbent Michael Davis and former county Legislator Thomas Nichols were elected to two five-year board seats, with 131 and 138 votes, respectively. Richard Moore had 121 votes, followed by Barbara Knauf with 82 votes and Kellie Harris with 62 votes.

Hermon-DeKalb Central:The budget passed 131-30. A separate proposition to spend $100,000 to bond for one bus over a five-year period passed 132-28.

Incumbents Richard Hamilton and Ronald W. Smith captured two five-year seats, with 144 and 143 votes, respectively.

Lisbon Central:The budget passed, 176-94. Chera Davison beat Carlos H. Alberto III, 143-114, for a five-year term on the school board. Incumbents James Doyle and Scott Walker ran unopposed for five-year terms.

Madrid-Waddington Central:The budget was approved, 126-86. Elected to five-year terms on the school board were incumbent Mary Loomis and Richard Hobkirk, with 167 and 117 votes, respectively.

Massena Central:Voters approved the budget, 691-336. Voters also authorized, 690-326, the district to purchase no more than three 65-passenger buses and one Suburban at a cost not to exceed $336,848.

Incumbents Kevin Perretta and Leonard Matthews were elected to five-year terms on the board, with 720 and 684 votes, respectively. Newcomer Cristen Halladay received 622 votes for a three-year term. Other candidates were Antonette Fiacco-Price, 608 votes, James A. Farbotnik, 190 votes and Vinira Farbotnik, 160 votes.

Morristown Central:The budget passed, 112-27. A proposition to finance a school bus at a maximum cost of $97,000 also was approved, 116-23.

Scot Rupert received 102 votes, securing a three-year term on the school board.

Parishville-Hopkinton Central:The budget passed, 175-53. Voters also approved, 195-31, a bond for two school buses in an amount not to exceed $233,800.

In a four-way race for two school board seats, incumbents Fred Wilhelm, 164 votes, and Heidi Condon Simmons, 150 votes, were re-elected to five-year terms. Newcomers Kari E. Tremper and Richard Perkins had 95 and 87 votes, respectively.

St. Lawrence Central:Voters approved the budget, 185-48. Voters also approved, 179-39, a proposition to spend no more than $320,000 to purchase two 66-passenger buses and one 48-passenger bus.

Newcomers Michael Hornung and Robert Down were elected to five-year terms on the school board, with 201 votes and 194 votes, respectively.

Johnson Newspapers staff members Alex Jacobs, Matt Akins, Larry Robinson, Bob Beckstead, Laura Bomyea, Sue Mende, Jimmy Lawton, Benny Fairchild and Matt McAllister contributed to this report.