ELLICOTTVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL

DISTRICT

NOTICE OF

ANNUAL SCHOOL

DISTRICT

MEETING

PUBLIC HEARING AND VOTE:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting and election (“Annual District Vote”) of the ELLICOTTVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL

DISTRICT, Cattaraugus County, New York, will be held on TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2025 from 1:00p.m. prevailing time to 8:00p.m. prevailing time in the Elementary School Foyer, located at 5873 Route 219, Ellicottville, New York, for the purpose of voting on the budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, voting on a proposition to authorize the lease of three school busses for each of the next five (5) years, voting on the Ellicottville Memorial Library Tax, Capital Project, and transacting such other business as is authorized by law.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that a public hearing for the voters of the Ellicottville Central School District on the 2025-2026 budget and expenditure of funds will be held on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, commencing at 6:00pm in the High School Auditorium “The Ward” of Ellicottville Central School, 5873 Route 219, Ellicottville, NY 14731.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the voting on the budget and propositions shall consist of voting on the following propositions, and on each of the other propositions as are authorized by law and the rules of this Board to be voted on at said time:

PROPOSITION NO. 1- BASIC BUDGET

Shall the following resolution be adopted, to wit:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Ellicottville Central School District in the County of Cattaraugus, State of New York, be and is hereby authorized to expend the sum of $16,311,698 for the 2025/2026 school year budget. The basic budget will provide funds for all of the educationally related services and maintenance of our school building.

PROPOSITION NO. 2- SCHOOL BUS LEASE

Shall the following resolution be adopted and approved, to wit:

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Ellicottville Central School District in the county of Cattaraugus, State of New York, is authorized to levy an additional (not to exceed) $115,000 to lease two (2) 66 passenger IC Bus CE school buses and one (1) wheelchair passenger school bus for each of the next five years (five annual payments) commencing with the 2025-2026 school year.

PROPOSITION NO. 3- Ellicottville Memorial library

Shall the following resolution be adopted and approved, to wit:

RESOLVED: Shall the proposition be approved authorizing the Board of Education of the Ellicottville Central School District to levy taxes annually in the amount of $85,000 and to pay over such monies to the Ellicottville Memorial Library.

PROPOSITION NO. 4- Capital Improvement Supplemental Project 2025

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education (the “Board”) of the Ellicottville Central School District, Cattaraugus County, New York (the “District”), is hereby authorized to undertake a proposed “2025 Capital Improvement Project” consisting of the reconstruction, rehabilitation and renovation, in part, and the construction of improvements and upgrades to various District buildings and facilities and the sites thereof (collectively, the “Project”) to implement various health, safety, accessibility and code compliance measures required by the State Education Department in connection with any significant capital improvements project and various other measures that are generally described in (but are not to be limited by) the project plan that has been prepared by the District (with the assistance of SEI Design Group) and that is available for public inspection in the offices of the District Clerk (the “Project Plan”), such work being anticipated to include, without limitation and to the extent as and where required, the elements that are generally described below. The Project is anticipated to include renovations for new security entry vestibules and secure transaction windows at the Elementary School and Middle/High School entrances; renovations to the Elementary School’s office and Nurse’s office; new lighting at the Elementary School lobby and vestibule; Middle/High School Library improvements; select accessibility and classroom improvements; and other miscellaneous interior upgrades such as flooring, lighting and plumbing fixture replacement. If the budget allows after receiving construction bids, or if other items are identified, additional similar renovations, upgrades, and improvements could be undertaken. All of such work (or so much thereof as can be accomplished within the overall budget for the Project, once the construction bids are received) is to be undertaken at an estimated maximum cost of $2,375,000, and will include the purchase of original furnishings, equipment, machinery, apparatus and pavement restoration required in connection with the purposes for which such buildings, facilities and sites are used, and all ancillary or related work required in connection therewith, and the Board is authorized to expend therefor, including for preliminary costs and costs incidental thereto and in connection with the financing thereof, an amount not to exceed the estimated maximum cost of $2,375,000, provided that the detailed costs of the components of the Project (as generally described in the Project Plan) may be reallocated among such components, or such components may be deleted, revised or supplemented if (1) the Board shall determine that such reallocation, deletion, revision or supplementation is in the best interests of the District and (2) the aggregate amount to be expended for the Project shall not exceed $2,375,000 and (3) no material change shall be made in the overall scope and nature of the Project; and be it further

RESOLVED, that a tax is hereby voted to finance the estimated maximum cost of the Project in an amount not to exceed $2,375,000, such tax to be levied and collected in installments in such years and in such amounts as shall be determined by the Board; and be it further

RESOLVED, that in anticipation of such tax, obligations of the District (including, without limitation, serial bonds, statutory installment bonds, bond anticipation notes, and/or lease-purchase obligations) are hereby authorized to be issued in an aggregate principal amount that is not to exceed $2,375,000, and a tax is hereby voted to pay the interest on such obligations as the same shall become due and payable; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the New York State Building Aid funds that are expected to be received by the District are anticipated to offset a substantial part of the cost of the Project, and such funds shall, to the extent received, be applied to offset and reduce the amount of taxes that are herein authorized to be levied.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that such Proposition No. [4] shall appear on the ballot sheet to be used for voting on such Proposition No. [_4_] in substantially the following abbreviated form:

PROPOSITION NO. [_4_]

2025 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

YES NO

Shall the following resolution be adopted and approved?

RESOLVED, that (a) the Board of Education (the “Board”) of the Ellicottville Central School District, Cattaraugus County, New York (the “District”) is hereby authorized to undertake a “2025 Capital Improvement Project” (the “Project”) consisting of the reconstruction, rehabilitation and renovation, in part, and the construction of improvements and upgrades to various District buildings and facilities (and the sites thereof) to implement various health, safety, accessibility and code compliance measures and various other measures that are included and generally described in (but are not to be limited by) the Project Plan that was referred to in the public notice of the vote on this Proposition, and to expend therefor an amount not to exceed $2,375,000; (b) a tax is hereby voted in an amount not to exceed $2,375,000 to finance the estimated maximum cost of the Project, such tax to be levied and collected in installments in such years and in such amounts as shall be determined by the Board; (c) in anticipation of such tax, obligations of the District are hereby authorized to be issued in an aggregate principal amount that shall not exceed $2,375,000, and a tax is hereby voted to pay the interest on such obligations as the same shall become due and payable; and (d) New York State Building Aid funds expected to be received by the District are anticipated to offset a substantial part of such costs, and such funds, to the extent received, shall be applied to offset and reduce the amount of taxes herein authorized to be levied.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that an environmental assessment has been completed for all of the anticipated work involved in the Project, which constitutes a Type II action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”), a thorough review of the Project’s potential environmental impacts has been undertaken, it has been found that the Project will not result in a significant adverse impact on the environment.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the election of members of the Board of Education shall be held to fill (2) two seats. The candidate with the highest number of votes will be assigned a five-year term seat beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2030 (this seat is currently held by Karl Northrup). The candidate with the second highest number of votes will be assigned an unexpired term seat immediately following the election on May 20, 2025, and ending on June 30, 2027 (this seat is currently held by David “Scotty” McGee). Nominating petitions are available in the office of the District Clerk, between the hours of 7:30am-4:00pm (Monday- Friday) when school is in session.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that all candidates for the office of Member of Board of Education shall be nominated by petition. Each petition shall be directed to the District Clerk, shall be signed by at least 25 qualified voters of the district or two percent of the voters who voted in the previous annual election of the members of the school board, whichever is greater, shall state the residence of each signer, and shall state the name and residence of the candidate. Each petition must be filed in the Office of the District Clerk between the hours of 7:30am-4:00pm, prevailing time, and not later than 5:00pm on Monday, April 21, 2025.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that applications for absentee ballots will be obtainable during school business hours at the Office of the District Clerk. Completed applications must be received by the Office of the District Clerk at least seven (7) days before the District Vote if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the District Vote if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. Absentee ballots must be received by the Office of the District Clerk not later than 5:00 p.m. prevailing time on the day of the District Vote. A list of people to whom absentee ballots are issued will be available for inspection by any qualified voter of the District in the Office of the District Clerk between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., until the day set forth for the District Vote, except on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that military voters who are qualified voters of the District may apply for a military ballot by requesting an application from the District Clerk. For a military voter to be issued a military ballot, the District Clerk must have received a valid ballot application no later than 5:00pm, prevailing time, on Thursday, April 24th, 2025. In their military ballot applications or requests for such applications, military voters may indicate their preference for receiving applications or ballots by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that applications for an early mail ballot may be applied for at the Office of the District Clerk. Applications for early mail ballots may be accepted beginning April 23, 2025, through May 13, 2025, to receive the ballot by regular mail and no later than May 19, 2025 to have the ballot delivered in person. A list of all persons to whom early mail ballots shall have been issued will be available for inspection in the Office of the School District Clerk on each of the five (5) days prior to the day of the election (except Saturday and Sunday), and such list shall also be posted at the voting place during the election, and any qualified voter may challenge the acceptance of the early voter’s ballot of any such person on such list, by making his challenge and the reasons therefore known to the Inspector of Election before the close of the polls.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that a voting machine(s) will be used to record the vote on the budget, on the propositions, and on the election of members of the Board of Education.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the Board of Education of this District has adopted Rule for the Use of Voting Machines and the Submission of Questions or Propositions to be placed thereon, and printed copies for general distribution in the District are available at the office of the District Clerk located in the District Offices at 5873 Route 219, Ellicottville, NY 14731.

FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the Board of Education of this District will have prepared and completed a detailed statement in writing of the amount of money which will be required during the 2025-2026 fiscal year for school purposes, specifying the several purposes and the amount for each. The amount for each purpose estimated necessary for payments to Boards of Cooperative Educational Services shall be shown in full, with no deduction of estimated state aid. The amount of state aid provided and its percentage relationship to the total expenditures shall also be shown. Such statement shall be completed at least seven days before the budget hearing at which it is to be presented and copies thereof shall be prepared and made available, upon request, to residents within the District during the period of seven days before the budget hearing and/or fourteen days immediately preceding the annual meeting and election, and may be obtained by any resident in the District at each school house in the District in which school is maintained during the hours of 7:30am to 4:00pm prevailing time on and after May 6, 2025, excluding Saturday and Sundays and in the District Office.

BY THE ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

ELLICOTTVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL

KRISTEN PEARL, DISTRICT CLERK