School board adopts budget

Last night the Board of Education adopted the budget it had seen at its last meeting. There were no changes.

The budget calls for a 2.58 percent increase in spending and a 1.88 percent bump in the tax levy. Since the budget is under the cap, Cornwall property owners are likely to receive a tax freeze credit — a refund from the state equal to the increase in this year’s taxes.

Earlier in the month, school board member Melanie Robinson had asked to see costs for reinstating the enrichment program. At the April 23 meeting, however, she agreed to postpone her request until the next year’s budget. “It’s a specialized program,” she said, “and I don’t want to just slap it in there without any thought.”

During the time for public comment at the start of the meeting, Nancy Bryan urged the district to let the public see a line-by-line copy of the budget before it is adopted. “You ask for our input,” she said, “but we only get to see an overview.”