Budget passes; Andrade, Gorcsos, Hill take BOE seats
Voters in the Florida Union Free School District approved the 2022-2023 school budget Tuesday, May 17, with 56 percent of voters in favor of the $24,384,840 spending plan.
“I have tremendous gratitude to the voters of the district for approving this budget,” said Superintendent Larry Leaven. “We worked diligently to prepare a fiscally responsible plan that would continue the successful programs here in the district. Our teachers and staff strive to do their best each day for our students. The support from the community is encouraging for all of us.”
There were seven candidates running for three seats on the board of education. Leslie Hill, Lori Gorcsos and Rob Andrade were the top vote-getters in the field.
Unofficial Results
Budget
Yes – 448
No – 350
BOE Candidates:
Leslie Hill – 381
James Revella – 153
John M. Figliacconi – 282
Lori Gorcsos – 390
Sue Wheeler – 344
Caroline Hanna – 307
Rob Andrade – 424
Voters in the Florida Union Free School District will go to the polls to decide on the 2022-2023 district budget and to choose three school board members on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
The board of education adopted its 2022-2023 budget on Thursday, April 21, 2022. The proposed $24,384,840 budget is an increase of $847,160 or 3.6 percent over the current year’s budget. The proposed tax levy, which is the amount of money received from local residents’ taxes, will increase by 1.74 percent or $274,670.
The increase is within the tax cap set by the state.
Click here for the 2022-2023 budget presentation.
Three-Part Budget
Component Adopted 2021-2022 Proposed 2022-2023
- Administrative $ 3,582,475 $ 3,753,270
- Program $15,649,060 $15,848,635
- Capital $ 4,306,145 $ 4,782,935
Total: $23,537,680 $24,384,840
The budget public hearing was held on May 5, 2022.
There are seven candidates running for three seats on the board of education. They will appear on the ballot in the following order:
- Leslie Hill
- James Revella
- John M. Figliacconi
- Lori Gorcsos
- Sue Wheeler
- Caroline Hanna
- Rob Andrade
Click here to view biographies of the candidates.
Meet the Candidates Night
On May 10, 2022, at 7 p.m. in the S.S. Seward cafeteria, the Florida Union Free School District PTA and PTSA will sponsor a Meet the Candidates night.
The candidates will introduce themselves to the community and will respond to questions from the community.Community members are encouraged to use this link to submit a question/s for the candidates.
Only questions submitted through the link will be considered for the evening’s event.
Board of Education Elections
Who can vote?
You are eligible to vote if you are:
- a U.S. citizen
- 18 years or older
- a district resident for at least 30 days prior to the vote
- registered.
If you are registered to vote in general elections, you are automatically eligible to vote in school elections.
You may register 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. any day the district office is open. The last day to register for the 2022-2023 budget vote and board election is May 12, 2022.
Absentee ballots
Applications for absentee ballots may be obtained at the Office of the School District Clerk. Applications must be received by the district clerk no more than thirty (30) days and at least seven (7) days before the date of 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 or the voter’s designated agent set forth in the application at the Office of the District Clerk.
For the 2022-2023 budget vote and board election, absentee ballots must be received by the Office of the District Clerk not later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
Where and When
Voting takes place at the S.S. Seward Memorial Building, 51 North Main Street, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. For the 2022-2023 budget vote and board election, that will be on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.