This year’s Ramapo Central Schools budget process was not as contentious and controversial as last year, when program and personnel cuts were on the table.

This year’s Board of Education began a community outreach and communication initiative early in the budget process, beginning back in January, when the BOE gathered in the Sloatsburg Elementary School gymnasium to a packed local audience and district Superintendent Dr. Douglas Adams addressed the audience to announce that this year there would be no recommended program or personnel cuts for the 2014-15 school year.

Current Ramapo Central board trustees up for election include: Craig Long (top); Dr. Marlyse Haward (middle); and Nicola Milillo, Jr. (bottom).

After touring the district and holding board meetings at various facilities, the BOE in April voted to adopt the proposed 2014-2015 budget, which totals $130,372,327 and represents a 1.85% budget-to-budget increase from the 2013-14 school year. The tax levy increase will tick in at 0.82%.

Ramapo Central faces a projected budget deficit next year of nearly $2 million dollars, mostly due to the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) law, according to district officials. The BOE budget will hold the line and apparently has taken NY State Comptroller Thomas DiNaopli’s recommendations to heart — Ramapo Central has proposed the use of unrestricted tax certiorari reserve funds in the amount of $780,290 and the allocation of $1,000,000 from the liquidation of encumbered purchase orders for tax certiorari to close the budget gap.

When voters step into the voting booth they will also vote for three open BOE seats, which include those of current BOE President Craig Long, whose regular term is expiring; Nicola Milillo, Jr., who was appointed in March; and Dr. Marlyse Haward, who was appointed in December. Both Milillo and Haward are new to the BOE, were appointed during the school year to finish the remaining terms of board members who resigned. Long, Milillo and Haward are all looking to be elected to their current seats and have loosely run as a team. Although Milillo and Haward can be considered relative board freshman, Long is a seasoned hand as board president with deep local community roots.

Joseph Gravagna and Amany Messieha Dgheim are also running for one of the three available seats. Gravagna has campaigned aggressively as “a new voice ” in the district, while Dgheim and Dr. Marlyse Haward have been endorsed by the Ramapo Teachers Association.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. Voters must report to their assigned school budget election district.

Ramapo Central BOE candidates Joseph Gravagna and Amany Messieha Dgheim.

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