Waterville Central School District’s budget that goes to voters for a June 9 vote was approved by the Board of Education last week.
Given the economic impact of the coronavirus, board members opted to cut new initiatives for next year, hold off on hiring a superintendent and make reductions in several other areas to keep the increase in spending for 2020-21 to under 1 percent at .87 percent. The spending plan also stays under the district’s tax cap of 2.34 percent increase of the tax levy.
The final decision on the budget came during a two-and-a-half hour remote meeting last week that included discussion of a plan to have a graduation ceremony next month, an update on more structured online learning and how the budget vote will be conducted during the pandemic as set by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Once again the district could not show the meeting live on YouTube, which said it violated community standards. A recording of the meeting is on the district’s website.
Junior-Senior High Principal Nick Rauch provided board members with a general outline of how the Class of 2020 could have a graduation ceremony on the date originally scheduled, Saturday, June 20. Rauch said he, senior class advisors and senior class officers discussed the three possible ideas.
One is to do a virtual ceremony; Rauch said this was the least favorable to the seniors. “It’s a tough way to cap off a tough year and they’d like to stay away from this,’’ he said.
A second option is a ceremony of some sort for the graduates only. Rauch said in talking with other high school principals, this model made him nervous. This rules out having a graduates only ceremony at Brothertown Stadium or other venues.
“I know the lengths I would go to see my child’s graduation…