T IMES
SOUTHERN
ULSTER
Vol. 14, No 18
3
MAY 3 - 9, 2017
Iron
Duke
relays
Page 37
3
ONE DOLLAR
Celestial
sweets
Page 21
SERVING HIGHLAND, MARLBOROUGH AND PLATTEKILL
Highland Honey harvest threatened
adopts Local beekeeper alarmed about honey bee population
$42.8 m
budget
By MARK REYNOLDS
[email protected]
The Highland School board has
approved a budget of $42,866,930 for the
2017-18 school year, which includes a
tax levy of $26,807,253. This budget is
$1,344,045 more than the 2016-17 budget.
The district will receive $14,045,326 in
state aid; $6,621 from Payments in Lieu
of Taxes and $507,730 in miscellaneous
revenues. The district is also applying
$1.5 million from their Fund Balance and
Reserves to lower the tax burden upon
residents.
Expenses in the $42.8 million budget
pie break down to $3,588,594, or 8.37%
for Administrative costs; $6,192,074, or
14.44% to pay for such items as the capital
debt service, operations & maintenance,
building electrical costs and the custodial
staff, and $33,086,262, or 77.18% for
educational costs, including salaries and
benefits and transportation.
The district highlighted some of the
increases in next year’s budget: Teaching
- regular school for $10,798,160 up by
$246,990; student programs at $$5,778,898
up by $349,713; student transportation &
garage at $1,828,865 up by $69,911; Hospital
& Medical Insurance at $$7,878,741 up by
Continued on page 4
John Cardillo
Marlborough beekeeper Nick Catania is alarmed about the dwindling number of honey bees across the country.
By MARK REYNOLDS
[email protected]
Sometimes we pass by small things
and take little or no notice but for
Marlborough beekeeper Nick Catania
it is the diminutive honey bee that has
grabbed his attention. He understands
that these bees are threatened by
chemicals, pesticides, herbicides as well
WWW.SOUTHERNULSTERTIMES.COM
as from parasites and pathogens and
are struggling just to survive. He is
sounding an alarm and is warning the
public about what is at stake.
Continued on page 2