By a nearly 3-1 margin, district voters approved the Warwick Valley Central School District’s budget for the 2022-23 school year this week.

WV schools Superintendent Dr. David Leach observed that this represented “incredible turnout for a local election,” especially compared with other districts in the region. This was, he said, a “high turnout. Go back to about five years ago when turnout was about half of that...This shows an interested, participatory community...It’s good to get the vote out.”

Out of a total of 18,332 registered voters in the district, 3,114 residents, or just under 17 percent, cast their votes at the district’s three polling places: Pine Island Elementary, Kings Elementary, and the Middle School.

Preliminary numbers show the budget passing 2,256 - 858, or by 72 percent. Voters also assented to school bus purchases to replace those that have passed their usable lifespan. The results there were: 2,178 Yes to 929 No, or by better than 70 percent. On the question of establishing a capital reserve for buses, the voters gave the nod 2,214 in favor, versus 880 opposed, or by almost 72 percent.

School board

Voters returned current BOE president Keith Parsons to the board, with 1,979 votes. Retired police lieutenant Tom Maslanka was the second-highest vote-getter, with 1,798 votes; rounding out the top three was another newcomer, Daniel Mahoney, with 1,707 votes.

Incumbent Eilleen Gagliano received 1,589 votes, and challenger Vanessa Holland received 1,564 votes.

The board expects to have final numbers by the end of the week.

L-R: WV School board president, Keith Parsons; newly-elected board member Tom Maslanka (not shown: newly-elected

board member Daniel Mahoney (Photo by Abby Wolf)

L-R: WV School board president, Keith Parsons; newly-elected board member Tom Maslanka (not shown: newly-elected

board member Daniel Mahoney (Photo by Abby Wolf)