By a more than two-to-one margin, taxpayers in the Brockport Central School District approved a $55.2 million budget on June 3. There were 1,478 votes for the budget and 624 against. Voters also approved a proposition to spend $895,000 for school buses by a 1,291 to 716 margin.

Assistant Superintendent of Business James Wood said the district had tightened the belt in many areas. "We've done that for the past three years," he said.

With the promise of a bit of an infusion of funds, the board has authorized the superintendent to hire up to five replacement positions. Wood explained that at the end of 2001, the district was down 37 positions, 23 of them were teaching positions, and they have been operating under that shortage. The five positions were built into the budget package that was approved.

Estimates on tax rates are about a 4.9 percent increase from last year's $21.08 per $1,000 to a projected $22.11 per $1,000 of assessed value under the 2003-2004 budget, Wood said.

School board of education members Marjorie Vandenberg and A. Gary Zimmer retained their seats. They received 1,573 and 1,505 votes respectively while Terry L. Wolfe garnered 733 in an unsuccessful bid for a seat.