Clarkstown Sets Hearing On $212 Million School Budget For 2020-21

CLARKSTOWN, NY — The Clarkstown Board of Education will do a new thing on May 28 — hold its annual budget hearing remotely. That's only one of the many changes forced on the district by the new coronavirus pandemic in New York.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has warned that the economic effect of the shutdown imposed to curb the outbreak could mean much less money available for state education aid. The state will be assessing and adjusting its budget several times in the course of 2020. Cuomo's last estimate was that state aid would be 20 percent lower than already promised.

For Clarkstown, that's $7.38 million.

Clarkstown administrators and trustees have been working on how to mitigate the effect of much lower revenues since March. The proposed spending plan they're putting before voters is $212 million. The proposed increase in the tax levy is 1.4 percent.

Clarkstown officials plan to support all existing instructional programming, while reducing or holding off spending on items including network infrastructure technology, maintenance, professional development and athletic equipment. They plan to adjust spending based on the state's fiscal updates.

You can check out the draft spending plan for 2020-21.

The school board will hold its annual budget hearing at 8 p.m. May 28. If you have budget-related questions submit them through email to: districtclerk@ccsd.edu by noon on May 28.

Then you can watch it streamed live here.

Three candidates are on the ballot for seats on the Board of Education. Zizette Deutsch and David Gosman are seeking re-election.

• Phillip DeGaetano
• Zizette Deutsch
• David Gosman

Things to know:

1. School district budget votes and school board elections are by absentee ballot only in 2020.
2. Absentee ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in the district the week of May 25.
3. If you are not registered, you may register by mail with the County Board of Elections or apply through the state online.

To vote, you must be:

• A United States citizen
• At least 18 yrs of age by June 9, 2020
• A resident of the district by May 10, 2020
• Cannot have been disqualified from voting based upon a reason described in Election Law §5-106.