A Valley Central school administration that lacks fiscal responsibility, a compliant school board, a teachers’ union in lock-step with the administration, a substantial education community bloc vote and extreme voter apathy, taken altogether, practically guarantees school budgets, regardless of size, will pass year after year.

I checked on the vote tally for the just-passed VC school budget: Yes votes 901, no votes 398. This totals 1299 in all. As per the Orange County Board of Elections, there are 18,452 registered voters in the Valley Central school district. This means voter turnout was a measly 7%. Only 7% came out to vote on a mammoth school budget of $125,850,000 dollars calling for a colossal $9,250,000 dollar spending increase, the largest increase ever !!!! Voter apathy is beyond pathetic. Voter apathy is voter silence. Such silence is tantamount to tacit approval of school budgets.

In the present state of affairs at Valley Central, budget passage is automatic, a foregone conclusion. Those district residents who want fiscally responsible school budgets haven’t a prayer to see this objective materialize. These same residents are at the mercy of the VC school administration.