Monday, April 20, 2009

Two Board of Education candidates unopposed for re-election on May 19

John R. Yagielski, of 309 Lark Street, is seeking a second three-year term on the board.
He is an electrical engineer for General Electric and is currently a technical leader in the Generator Engineering Dept.
Yagielski holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Clarkson University and a master’s degree in electric power engineering from RPI.
He and his wife, Pam, have two children: Alexis, a grade 9 student at the High School; and Kyle, a grade 6 student at the Middle School.
He is a Middle School PTA and High School PTSA member, served as a teach coach and judge for the Odyssey of the Mind competitions and has been active in the Youth Lacrosse and Tartan Recreational Basketball programs.
He has been a district resident for 15 years.

Gary T. Normington, of 12 Sanders Avenue, is seeking a second three-year term on the board.
Since July, he has been vice president of the Board of Education.
He is a software trainer for Community Computers of Auburn, a medical software company.
Normington holds an associate’s degree in computer programming and marketing from Spencer Business Institute.
He and his wife, Karen, have three sons: Morgan, a grade 7 student at the Middle School; Nicholas, a grade 3 student at Sacandaga; and Colin, a grade 1 student at Sacandaga.
He is a member of the Sacandaga PTA, Concern for the Hungry Thanksgiving Food Drive and attends St. Joseph’s Church.
He has been a district resident for 17 years.

In addition, the community on May 19 will consider:

• $46,651,381 budget proposed for 2009-10 that increases spending by 1.7 percent and will reduce the tax rate by at least 0.5 percent.

• $475,000 proposal to buy five buses to replace five high-mileage buses that have severe corrosion of the body.

• $9.317 million building project to make renovations to the six schools and bus garage, replace roofs, upgrade heating systems, replace technology servers and wiring.

• $2.575 million building project to upgrade and expand the current Middle School library and build a corridor around the outside of the expanded library.

The tax rate will not increase for either of the building projects because of state building aid, special EXCEL aid, retiring debt and use of $450,000 from a debt reserve account and $150,000 left over from the 2008 roofing project at Glendaal Elementary.