Garden City School Budget Passes, Trustees Elected

Residents overwhelmingly approved the Garden City school district's proposed $107,602,366 budget Tuesday. They also elected Garden City Board of Education trustee candidates Laura Hastings and Barbara Trapasso, who both ran unopposed, by 1,268 and 1,252 votes respectively.

There were 1,436 votes in favor (65.4 percent) and 760 against the spending plan, which is $3,386,838 (3.25 percent) higher than the 2012-2013 budget.

The budget raises the tax levy - the portion of revenue that taxpayers are responsible for - by 3.19 percent (with STAR), which is under the maximum allowable tax levy of 3.91 percent and therefore only required a simple majority (50 percent + 1) to pass.

Superintendent of schools Dr. Robert Feirsen said in a time of "great fiscal challenge" no major changes were proposed, adding that all operations will "pretty much look the same as it does this year."

To figure out how the budget will impact your tax bill, click here to use the Garden City school district's "Property Tax Calculator."