Ramapo Central School District residents vote on Tuesday, May 17, for the 2016-17 budget and for two board of education members. Three candidates vying for the two seats: Matthew Kern (L) Maureen Danzig (C), and Dr. Amany Messieha Dgheim (R). Danzig and Dgheim are current board members. Photo courtesy of Ramapo Teacher Association candidate forum. 

Ramapo Central School District residents go to the polls Tuesday, May 17, to vote on the annual school budget. This year the proposed 2016-17 school budget comes in at $134,580,881 and represents a budget-to-budget increase of 2.19%.

The tax levy increase this year is set 0.0% — which itself is controversial to some who believe it leaves important possible district money on the table (the position of candidate Matthew Kern). Others, including candidates Dgheim and Danzig, think the zero increase gifts overburdened district taxpayers for their consistent and generous support of local schools.

(It’s highly advised for voters to scroll through the candidates forum video to get a feel for the RCSD candidates and issues)

And then there’s the turf vote — if you vote yes on this athletic field replacement measure, that means you agree that the current crumb rubber turf should removed and replaced with a new organic material. The money for the replacement turf has already allocated and the district turf vote is a yes or no to use the money.

With that in mind, there are also three candidates vying for two Board of Education seats: Maureen Danzig, Matthew Kern and Dr. Amany Messieha Dgheim. Both Danzig and Dgheim are current board members.

Information on Dr. Amany Messieha Dgheim can be found here (note: Dr. Dgheim reached out to SVdotcom and thus gets the benefit of her own statement page).

The Turf War
Dr. Dgheim and fellow board member Dr. Marlyse Haward (not up for re-election this go-round) nearly single-handedly steered the district conversation on reviewing and replacing the crumb rubber with a more medically neutral material.

The voter referendum (Proposition 2) will ask voters whether RCSD may use existing $1,150,000 Capital Reserve Fund monies to replace two athletic turf fields at Suffern Middle School.

The turf topic has been covered at district meetings and special meetings on the topic, which at times spiraled into a lively and instructive bantering conversation.

Various topics or questions put to candidates at the recent PTA forum included a question about the million dollar fee charged to Ramapo Central by the Town of Ramapo to collect school taxes, the employment status of Superintendent Douglas Adams, who over the last year has interviewed with three other school districts, and opting out of Common Core tests.

Polls are open from 6am-9pm. Voters must report to their assigned school budget election district. Polling locations are as follows:

Cherry Lane Elementary School, 1 Heather Drive, Suffern
Hillburn Administration Building, 45 Mountain Avenue, Hillburn
RP Connor Elementary School, 13 Cypress Road, Suffern
Sloatsburg Elementary School, 11 Second Street, Sloatsburg
Suffern Middle School, 80 Hemion Road, Suffern

Not sure where to go? Call (845) 357-7783 x11234 to confirm your polling place.