Budget and Taxes

Apple on a pile of booksOn the third Tuesday of each May, residents from across New York State go to the polls to vote on the following year’s school district budget and to elect members of the Board of Education.

2024 Budget Vote: May 21, 2024

What’s on the ballot

$23,501,679 proposed budget, which carries a 2.98% tax levy increase. This is 0.62% below the maximum allowable limit for 2024-25 as calculated by the state’s formula.

There are three candidates for two open seats on the Board of Education. These seats each carry three-year terms and are unpaid. Candidates will be in this order on the ballot based on random drawing: Anton Christensen, Steven Polidori, and Jack Brundage.

Voter Qualifications

To qualify to register to vote, you must meet all of the conditions listed below:

  • You are a citizen of the United States
  • You are at least 18 years of age
  • You are a resident of the District for at least thirty (30) days prior to the vote date
  • You are not a convicted felon
  • You are not in jail or on parole for a felony conviction
  • You are not adjudged by a Court to be mentally incompetent

Voter Registration

If you are registered through the county that you live in to vote in national, county and town elections, you do not have to do anything. You are already registered to vote in the school district election.

If you are not registered to vote with the county, you may register just for the school district election or to request an absentee ballot application (see below) by contacting District Clerk Stephanie Bonk at stephanie.bonk@oesj.org or by calling (518) 568-7280.

Voting Locations

Community voting is held from noon to 8 p.m. at:

  • OESJ Junior-Senior High School auditorium, 44 Center St., St. Johnsville
  • OEJS Elementary School auditorium, 6486 State Highway 29, St. Johnsville

If you live in the former St. Johnsville school district, you vote at the Junior-Senior High School. If you live in the former Oppenheim-Ephratah school district, you vote at the Elementary School. If you are unsure where to vote, contact District Clerk Stephanie Bonk at stephanie. bonk@oesj.org or by calling (518) 568-7280.

Absentee Ballots

Absentee ballots will be provided upon proper application to any qualified voter who will be unable to vote in person due to illness or physical disability, hospitalization, incarceration (unless for conviction of a felony), travel outside the voter’s county or city of residence for employment or business reasons, studies, or vacation on the day of the election.

The District Clerk will review the absentee ballot application to determine if the applicant is a qualified voter and is otherwise entitled to vote by absentee ballot. If the application is proper in all respects, the District Clerk will then mail or personally issue an absentee ballot to the voter.

Application must be received by the District Clerk at least 7 days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election, if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. Completed absentee ballots are due back to the school by 5 p.m. on the day of the vote.

Here is the absentee ballot application.

NEW! Early Voting Available

A qualified voter may vote as an early mail voter. Each person entitled to vote as an early mail voter and wanting to obtain an early mail ballot must submit a written application to the District Clerk. You can contact Stephanie Bonk at stephanie.bonk@oesj.org or (518) 568-7280 for an Early Voting Application.

The application must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) days before the election/vote if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election/vote if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. Upon receipt and approval of the application, a ballot will be mailed. The completed ballot must be received by the District Clerk by 5 p.m. on the day of the vote, May 21.