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Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Wallkill thrilled by budget vote
By TED REMSNYDER
The Wallkill Board of Education
gathered for its monthly meeting on May
18 at Plattekill Elementary School less
than 24 hours after the polls closed for
the district’s annual budget vote, and
the board and administration were still
basking in the news that voters had
overwhelmingly endorsed Wallkill’s 20162017 spending plan. The $71,912,252 budget
passed with 76 percent of the public vote
(690-218), as local taxpayers were clearly
happy with a proposal that included a
zero percent tax levy increase.
As a result of the budget’s passage,
the board voted at the meeting to create
three new positions that were part of the
spending plan - a school social worker, an
English to Speakers of Other Languages
Teacher and a Library Instructional
Assistant. The district is actively seeking
candidates to fill those job openings.
Wallkill Superintendent Kevin Castle
was pleased with the voters’ landslide
approval of the proposed budget. “We’re
very thankful for the continued support
that we receive from our community,
because without that, we wouldn’t be able
to do the wonderful learning opportunities
we have in our district,” he said. “For me
personally, it’s why I love working in this
district and community. It’s a community
that values education and you can’t get
any better than that.”
The final numbers for the district’s
Board of Education election were also
revealed at Wednesday’s meeting, and the
updated count confirms that challenger
Dustin Palen (603 votes) came out on top
and secured a coveted spot on the board.
Palen, a Sergeant from the Orange County
Sheriff’s Office, was followed by Board of
Education President Joseph LoCicero (601
votes), who gained his third three-year
term on the committee. “I’m very happy
to be supported by the town and by the
district,” LoCicero said. “It’s humbling
to know you have that many people who
would come out to support you, and I
think about that every day I come and
work for the school district. I know that
I have all those people behind me, and I
work hard to keep things moving in the
right direction.”
Board member Leif Spencer (521 votes)
also earned re-election for his second
term, but Vice President Tom McCullough
(507 votes) was the odd man out, as
the four men competed for three seats.
McCullough played a pivotal role during
his six years on the board, serving as
the head of the Budget and Technology
Committees. “Mr. McCullough was a very
active member who contributed positively
to the decision-making that went on in
the district,” Castle said. “He particularly
helped with the budget, and he was
actively involved in the Smart Bond
Initiative as the Technology Chairperson.
The insight that he brought to the district
was very beneficial to everyone, so he will
be missed.”
LoCicero was sad to see his righthand man leave the board after such a
narrow loss, but expressed optimism that
McCullough could still have a future with
the district. “I’m sorry that we had to
lose Tom McCullough,” LoCicero said.
“We’re going