Albion, Medina school budgets easily pass
Wadhams and Harling elected in Albion, while Keppler, Pawlaczyk and Sevenski elected in Medina
The school budgets in Albion and Medina received wide support in budget votes today.
• ALBION – The district’s $34,796,676 budget passed 526 to 123. The budget includes a 1.4 percent tax increase, only the second time school taxes are going up in last 11 years.
Voters elected retired teacher Wayne Wadhams, 513 votes, and Kathy Harling, 491 votes, to five-year terms. Marlene Seielstad wasn’t re-elected. She received 211 votes.
A proposition for $460,000 for bus purchases passed, 559 to 91, and a proposition to collect $687,211 for Hoag Library was approved, 469 to 177.
• MEDINA – The proposed $36,620,793 budget received 91.2 percent support, 423 to 41. The budget reduces taxes by 0.22 percent, down from $8,660,915 to $8,641,861, or $19,054 less in taxes.
The district has steadily been reducing taxes in recent years. The 2013-14 budget had a $9,135,636 tax levy. Medina has now reduced school taxes by $493,775 in four years, a 5.4 percent decrease.
A proposal to reduce the size of the Board of Education from 9 to 7 seats passed, 259 to 198. The board will remain at nine seats in the 2017-18 school year, with the reduction taking effect beginning July 1, 2018.
Four ran for three open seats. The following were elected: Bill Keppler, 329; Arlene Pawlaczyk, 299; and Dave Sevenski, 292 votes. Mary Hare received 267 votes.
