2020-2021 School Budget
In an executive order issued on Friday, May 1, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that this year’s school budget vote and board of education election will take place exclusively by absentee ballot due to the COVID-19 public health crisis.
The executive order establishes a timeline of actions that schools must undertake leading up to this date, including sending an absentee ballot with a prepaid return envelope to all qualified voters. Qualified voters are defined as U.S. citizens who are 18 years or older and have lived in the district for at least 30 days prior to the vote.
School board elections and budget votes originally scheduled for May 19, 2020 will now take place by mailed ballots. If ballots are to be submitted in person, they must be received by 5:00 PM on June 9, 2020 at the Jerome F. Melvin Administrative Office Building (5355 West Taft Rd.) in North Syracuse. Mail in ballots will be accepted through Tuesday, June 16, 2020.
Qualified voters will receive an absentee ballot by mail with return postage paid by the District. Voters should complete their ballot and mail it back to the District in the postage paid envelope. In order for their ballot to be counted, the District must receive the mailed ballot by 5:00 PM on June 16, 2020 or the in-person ballot by 5:00 PM on June 9, 2020.
Board of Education Candidates
The Board of Education is the official policy-making body of the North Syracuse Central School District. The Board is composed of nine members who are elected by District voters to three-year terms. Members receive no salary for serving on the Board. The terms of three Board members expire each June 30. Board members may seek re-election at the annual budget vote.
There will be no minimum threshold number of signatures required for individuals to be placed on the ballot, except that they must meet all other requirements, including applicable residency and age.
Candidates will be listed on the ballot alphabetically. Board of Education candidate profiles will NOT be printed in the District Dispatch. All candidate profiles will be listed online ONLY with the submitted candidate photo.
Board of Education Candidate Profiles
| 1. Michael Donofrio (information not submitted as of May 20) | |
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2. Terri E. Krueger is currently member of the North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education, seeking a second term. Terri has lived in the North Syracuse Central School District for the past 10 years, currently with her husband, Howard. Terri has three children — Alexandria, Vanessa and Brittany. Ms. Krueger is the owner of Krueger Advisors, LLC, where she is works as a senior financial advisor specializing in retirement, estate, college and long-term care planning as well as life, health and disability insurance. She specializes in working with families, women, LGBTQA community, fellow child advocates and others to develop retirement and estate plans. Terri graduated from the New Hartford Central School District and attended Mohawk Valley Community College and Utica College of Syracuse University. She earned certification as a Chartered Financial Consultant from the American College of Financial Services and is New York State registered in securities. Ms. Krueger is a Cicero Youth Board member and US Community Leader for the Million Dollar Round Table. She previously served on the VERA House Elder Justice Committee, was Vice President of Plank Road Chamber of Commerce, a capital committee member for Rescue Mission Alliance and a therapy dog handler for PAWS of CNY, Inc. She also formerly served as a court appointed children’s special advocate for Onondaga County and was treasurer for Greater North Syracuse Chamber of Commerce. |
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3. Joshua Ludden is seeking his first term on the North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education. Joshua is a life-long resident of the North Syracuse Central School District and a graduate of Cicero-North Syracuse High School. He currently attends American University in Washington, D.C., where he is on track to graduate in December of 2020. Joshua is majoring in Political Science and Religious Studies. As a student in the North Syracuse Central School District, Joshua served on the District Legislative Committee, and was a member of the National Honor Society and the C-NS Optimist Club. Joshua played both baseball and ice hockey at C-NS and he was the assistant captain for the ice hockey team in 2017. In 2017, he was named Student of the Year in both social studies and physical education. He also mentored young athletes through the C-NS baseball summer camps. Joshua currently volunteers with “In my Father’s Kitchen” and the “Road to Emmaus Ministry.” In 2018, he went with his church, Sacred Heart of Cicero, on a service trip to Haiti. |
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4. Erin C. McDonald is seeking election for her second term on the North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education. She has lived within the district for nearly 30 years, currently residing in Clay. Ms. McDonald is a retired public educator from the Pflugerville Independent School District in Travis County, Texas. She is currently employed as a substitute teacher at Henninger High School in the Syracuse City School District. Erin is a member of the North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education’s Policy and Legislative Committees, sat on interview committees for various District administrative positions and is a member of the Greater Cicero Community Connections Youth Board and the New York State and Central New York School Boards Associations. She is a youth soccer official for CNYSOA and the local Chapter of USSF (FIFA) soccer. Erin is a graduate of Cicero High School and SUNY Cortland, where she received a bachelor’s degree in history and related areas. She also holds certification in special education with an emotional disturbance and autism endorsement through Region 13 and Texas State University. |
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5. Michael Mirizio, currently vice president of the North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education, is seeking reelection for his fourth term on the Board. He is a life-long resident of the District and graduated from Cicero-North Syracuse High School. Mr. Mirizio is currently employed as the Director of Technology for OCM BOCES, the Onondaga Cortland Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services. He is involved with several committees for the North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education, including the Policy, Executive, Audit and Technology Committees. Additionally, he is the founder and executive director of North Syracuse Junior High School’s 4D Productions, a registered 501(c)(3) that operates out of North Syracuse Junior High School, where he works with students on live event production and community service. Mirizio holds a bachelors of science degree in political science from Le Moyne College. |
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6. Xavier Moody-Wusik is seeking his first term on the North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education. Xavier has been a resident of the North Syracuse Central School District for the past 11 years and is a graduate of Cicero-North Syracuse High School. After graduation from C-NS in 2018, he went to St. Bonaventure to study adolescent psychology. Following his freshman year, he transferred to Syracuse University, where he is currently enrolled, studying social studies education. Xavier currently volunteers as an assistant coach with the St. Rose Varsity Basketball team. |
Voting in the 2020-2021 School Budget Vote and Board of Education Member Election
Due to Covid-19, Governor Cuomo has ordered that all school district votes/elections be conducted via absentee ballot. Every registered voter residing within the North Syracuse Central School District will receive an absentee ballot via US Mail. There will be a postage paid return envelope enclosed for your use. Please click here for additional important voter information including sample ballots
Budget Public Hearing - May 26, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. Click here to watch the public hearing online: https://ensemble.cnyric.org/hapi/v1/contents/permalinks/La4j5R6S/view
The presentation for the public hearing is available by clicking here.
The following documents for the public hearing are available by clicking the links below:
- Dear Resident letter
- Public Hearing agenda
- Three-Part Budget
- Property Tax Report Card
- Tax Exempt Parcels
- Fiscal Accountability
- School Report Card
- Salary Administrative Compensation Info
- Line Item Budget
Budget Presentations - Copies of the 2020-2021 budget presentations to the North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education are listed below by the date they were given to the board.
May 26 Final Budget Presentation for Public Hearing
May 11 Final Budget Board of Education Presentation
April 20 Board of Education Presentation Update
April 6 Board of Education Presentation Update
March 2 Board of Education Presentation - Budget Revenues Update
February 24 Board of Education Presentation - Initial Budget
January 27 Board of Education Presentation
VOTING INFORMATION:
Due to Covid-19, Governor Cuomo has ordered that all school district votes/elections be held on June 9, 2020 and be conducted via absentee ballot. Every registered voter residing within the North Syracuse Central School District will receive an absentee ballot via US Mail. There will be a postage paid return envelope enclosed for your use. Please see the below voter information:
ELECTION DATE:
- June 9, 2020, Being Held via Absentee Ballot.
- Ballots must be received by the District Clerk no later than June 9th at 5 p.m.:
QUALIFIED VOTER DEFINITION
- Must be 18 years of age and a citizen of the United States.
- Must be a resident of the North Syracuse Central School District for at least 30 days prior to June 9, 2020.
- Previously has registered pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law and has voted at any annual or special school District meeting within the last four (4) calendar years (2016-2019);
- Registered with the Onondaga County Board of Elections pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law or registered with the North Syracuse Central School District.
- Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 6 p.m. via remote access
- To view the livestreaming of the hearing, go to https://ensemble.cnyric.org/Watch/La4j5R6S
- For questions on the budget, please contact either:
- Donald Keegan, Associate Superintendent for Business Services, at (315) 218-2143 or by e-mail at dkeegan@nscsd.org or
- Daniel Bowles, Superintendent of Schools, at (315) 218-2150 or email him at dbowles@nscsd.org
Ballots will be mailed the week of May 18th to every registered voter. Instructions on completing an absentee ballot will be included with the absentee ballot.
Ballot Instructions for June 9, 2020
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