Lyndonville school budget proposes 1% tax hike

4 candidates seeking 3 spots on Board of Education

LYNDONVILLE – The school district is proposing a $17,474,375 school budget for 2025-26 that goes before voters on Tuesday. Polls are open from noon to 8 p.m. in the Stroyan Auditorium Foyer.

The spending is down 1.1 percent. Property taxes would go up 1.0 percent from $4,711,576 to $4,758,692. Lyndonville is $142,007 under its allowable tax cap.

“We take the stewardship of your money very seriously,” Sharon Smith, district superintendent, said in a budget message in the school newsletter. “Despite rising costs across every aspect of our operation, we’ve kept the tax levy increase to just 1%, while preserving and enhancing the programs that make Lyndonville Central School District exceptional.”

State aid accounts for 69.3 percent of the budget, but the aid is down by $462,542 from $12,576,350 in 2024-25 to $12,113,808 in the 2025-26 proposed budget.

The district is offsetting some of the state aid reduction with reduced spending, an increase in taxes of $47,116 and $214,701 more from its reserves.

The district, in its budget newsletter, reports student enrollment is projected to increase by 10 students to 548 in the next school year.

Besides the budget which is proposition one, voters will be asked to consider:

Proposition #2 – Approval to purchase one, 64-passenger school bus for use in the transportation program of the District, at a maximum estimated cost of $183,000, using funds from the District’s Transportation Vehicle Reserve Fund 2018.

Proposition #3 – Permission to establish a capital reserve fund, “Transportation Vehicle Reserve Fund 2025,” for the purpose of purchasing vehicles to be used in the transportation program of the district. The ultimate amount of the fund shall be no greater than $900,000.

Proposition #4 – Authorization to establish a “Building Capital Reserve Fund 2025” for the purpose of funding the construction, reconstruction, addition to, renovation, alteration and improvement of district buildings, facilities, grounds and real property. The fund shall be no greater than $4 million.

Proposition #5 – The annual appropriation for the operation of the Yates Community Library, separate and apart from the annual school district budget, is to be increased from $135,316 to $146,722 with the district authorized to levy and collect taxes for the library.

There are four candidates for three 3-year terms on the board:

Vernon Fonda, a BOE member the past six years, is involved with the Lyndonville Youth Baseball Softball League including as president for nine years and a coach for 12 years. He is a former PTA president for four years.

“I want to assure our staff that we will support them and help them continue helping our students reach their goals,” Fonda stated in the district newsletter. “For years, our district has improved its ranking across the county in education. Our Music Department is second to none. Our numbers of participants in athletics are trending upwards. We have a wide range of extracurricular clubs for our younger generation. Our SRO program has done a wonderful job making our school safe, while fostering a great relationship with local law enforcement. I want to continue seeing our district moving forward while being fiscally responsible.”

James Houseman has managed business chains that he said will help in the tracking of fiscal responsibilities.

“I believe in practical, common-sense solutions,” he said in the school newsletter. “These solutions address problems directly and efficiently. My top priorities include parental rights in education, ensuring a healthy and safe learning environment, and fiscal responsibility. Success comes from prioritizing what truly impacts and empowers our children. They must be prepared to contribute productively to society.”

William Jurinich, a former BOE member for eight years, also is a long-time member of the Yates Carlton Sportsmen’s Club, including as vice president for four years. He also was a member of Lions Club for several years. He drove a school bus for Lyndonville for more than 10 years.

“I have attended the last couple of school board meetings,” he said. “I heard some good things and some not so good things. There is a good mix of school board members, and it should stay that way. With me being a little older, age 68, I would represent a large group of people that live in the district. I believe my past experience and views would be a good asset to the board and school district.”

Joanne Suhr is a retired Lyndonville school teacher. Her husband Harold is not seeking re-election to the BOE. Mrs. Suhr has served on the Town of Yates Planning Board, the Town of Yates Bicentennial Committee and many committees and organizations within the school district.

“I am motivated to run for the LCSD BOE because I hope I can contribute to the district in a positive way,” she said in the district newsletter. “As a retired teacher from the district, I appreciate the strengths of our school and hope to improve on many of the weaknesses. As a taxpayer and business owner, I strongly believe the district must be fiscally responsible while doing everything we can to enhance our children’s experiences. I am very proud of our community and want to see our district build on our strengths.”