TOMPKINS COUNTY, N.Y. — Tompkins County school districts held elections Tuesday night. Newfield Central School District and Ithaca City School District both saw their proposed budgets rejected by voters Tuesday night, triggering rare re-vote elections on June 18.
Tuesday’s results come amid steep increases in assessed property values across the county and rising costs — for both school districts and individual households.
Nearly all of Tompkins County’s school districts received fewer state aid dollars than expected this year due to changes in the way New York allocates education aid. Next school year will also be the first where districts are no longer able to lean on federal pandemic-era funding.
The changes have forced some districts to revisit their budgets — either by cutting spending and positions or by asking taxpayers to shoulder more of the burden.
Jump to…
Ithaca
Proposition 1: 2024-2025 Annual District Budget – $168,935,371
Yes: 2,059 (29.5%)
No: 4,916 (70.5%)
Proposition 2: Appropriation and Expenditure of Capital Reserve Funds
The proposition authorizes the district to spend up to $3.2 million to purchase up to four electric buses, up to four propane buses and up to six passenger vehicles.
Yes: 2,980 (43.8%)
No: 3,830 (56.2%)
Proposition 3: Proposed 2024 Capital Project
The proposition would have limited the district’s capital projects borrowing limit at $125 million over the next ten years.
Yes: 3,014 (43.5%)
No: 3,919 (56.5%)
School Board Election
Three vacancies
Emily Workman: 4,393 (3-year term)
Adam Krantweiss*: 3,953 (3-year term)
Todd Fox: 2,805 (3-year term)
Moira Lang*: 2,386
Barry Derfel: 1,879
Steve Cullen: 1,608
Eldred Harris*: 1,448
*Incumbent
Turnout: 6975
Trumansburg
Proposition 1: 2024-2025 Budget – $31,129,321
Yes: 235 (76.1%)
No: 74 (23.9%)
Proposition 2: Purchase of School Buses
The proposition would authorize up to $420,430 in upfront costs to purchase two school buses.
Yes: 231 (75.0%)
No: 77 (25.0%)
Proposition 3: Ulysses Philomathic Library
The proposition increases the public library’s tax levy, or the portion of the budget derived from property taxes, from $127,773 to $135,216.
Yes: 259 (83.3%)
No: 52 (16.7%)
Board of Education Candidates
Two vacancies (full term)
Megan Williams*: 254
Dana Robson*: 244
*Incumbent
Turnout: 311
Lansing
Proposition 1: 2024-2025 Budget – $38,592,972
Yes: 695 (62.4%)
No: 419 (37.6%)
Proposition 2: Transportation Diesel Vehicles
The proposition would authorize the district to spend up to $375,000 to purchase an unspecified number of school buses or other vehicles primarily used for student transportation.
Yes: 744 (66.7%)
No: 371 (33.3%)
Board of Education
Two vacancies (full term)
Aziza Benson*: 608 (3-year term)
Ami Stallone: 601 (3-year term)
Aaron Thompson*: 555
Carl Schimmelfing: 230
*Incumbent
Turnout: 1115
Dryden
Proposition 1: 2024-2025 Budget – $47,049,383
Yes: 373 (70.9%)
No: 153 (29.1%)
Proposition 2: School bus bond
The proposition would allow the district to borrow up to $552,000 to purchase an unspecified number of school buses.
Yes: 373 (71.0%)
No: 152 (29.0%)
Proposition 3: Building site/domestic water system improvements at Freeville Elementary School
The proposition would allocate up to $100,000 in improvements to Freeville Elementary School.
Yes: 399 (75.7%)
No: 128 (24.3%)
School Board Candidates:
Four vacancies (three full term, one 1-year term)
Bridget Flanigan*: 419 (3-year term)
Justin St. Juliana*: 402 (3-year term)
Tami Tabone: 318 (3-year term)
Leslie Debo: 89 (1-year term)
*Incumbent
Turnout: 527
Groton
Proposition 1: 2024-2025 Budget – $25,073,035
Yes: 133 (63.3%)
No: 77 (36.6%)
School board candidates:
Two vacancies (full term)
Susan Bishop*: 181 (3-year term)
Samuel Rose*: 147 (3-year term)
*Incumbent
Turnout: 210
Newfield
Proposition 1: 2024-2025 Budget – $25,482,411
Yes: 248 (48.2%)
No: 266 (51.8%)
Proposition 2: Vehicle purchase
The proposition would have authorized up to $556,000 in debt to purchase one van and one school bus, either diesel or electric. The cost to taxpayers would not exceed $233,750 for both vehicles.
Yes: 218 (42.2%)
No: 299 (57.8%)
Proposition 3: 2024 Capital Reserve Fund
The proposition establishes a capital reserve fund of $5 million to fund construction and renovation projects over the next decade.
Yes: 266 (51.7%)
No: 249 (48.3%)
Proposition 4: Library Tax Levy
The proposition increases the tax levy, or the portion of the public library’s budget derived from property taxes, from $76,000 to $81,000.
Yes: 385 (74.2%)
No: 134 (25.8%)
School board candidates:
Two vacancies (full term)
Kevin Berggren: 390 (3-year term)
Timothy Payne*: 304 (3-year term)
Shana Claar*: 188
*Incumbent
Turnout: 519