Voters on Tuesday approved budget proposals in more than 90 percent of the state’s school districts, according to the state Education Department and the New York State School Boards Association.
The numbers provided by the two entities differed slightly: The Education Department said 624 of the 675 proposals, or 92.4 percent, were approved; the School Boards Association said 621 budgets, or 92 percent, passed. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear.
Locally, budgets were approved in 16 of 18 districts, with only the Saugerties and Rondout Valley plans being defeated. (See stories above.)
The New York State United Teachers union said the results show New Yorkers, even in tough economic times, still value education and want to spare students from deeper cuts.
E.J. McMahon, an analyst for the fiscally conservative Empire Center for Public Policy, said the budget passage rate was high but typical for New York.
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