Q: When and where is the school budget vote?
A. The public vote for the school budget and board of education vacancies is held the third Tuesday of May in the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School gymnasium from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Q: Who is eligible to vote?
A. Residents of the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District who are United States citizens, at least 18 years old, and residents for at least 30 days prior to the vote are eligible.

Q: Do I need to register to vote?
A. If you are registered with the county for general elections, you are automatically registered for school elections. If you are not registered with the county and would like to vote, you must bring a valid form of identification as well as proof of residency (at least 30 days).

Eligible voters who are unable to vote in person for reasons determined by law may apply for an absentee ballot. Applications for absentee ballots are made available in April and must be returned to the district clerk’s office at least seven days prior to the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter or the day before the election if the ballot is to be issued to the voter in person. Absentee ballots must be received by the district clerk by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the vote.

If you have any issues accessing any document on this page, please contact Sue Starr at (518) 756-5200 ext. 6000.

Or pick up an application at the District Office, located at 15 Mountain Rd., in Ravena, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays.

For questions about absentee ballots call the Business Office at (518) 756-5200, ext. 6000 or email sstar@rcscsd.org to have one mailed to you

Q: How much of the budget do residents vote on?
A. Residents vote on the entire budget as a whole.

This is a “YES” or “NO” vote on giving the district permission to spend up to the budgeted amount in the coming fiscal year. The district cannot spend more than the amount approved by voters.

Q: Will there be any additional propositions to vote on besides the budget proposal?
A. This will be determined based on need each budget year.

Q: What happens if the budget and/or the propositions are defeated?
A. If a proposed budget is defeated by voters, a school district has the option of putting the same or a revised budget up for a revote, or adopting a contingent budget.

Contingent budget requirements prohibit spending in specific areas, including community use of buildings, certain salary increases and new equipment purchases.

A contingent budget also means a district may not increase its current tax levy by any amount, and exemptions no longer apply. Once a contingent budget is established, community residents are no longer allowed to petition boards of education to put additional items up for a separate vote.

The approval or defeat of an individual proposition does not have any impact on the approval or defeat of the school budget proposal.