Auburn school board candidates laid out competing visions for the district’s future Wednesday night during a forum hosted by Inside Government at Cayuga Community College, as voters prepare to weigh in on a proposed $107 million budget and a critical $7.2 million facilities referendum on May 20.
Four of seven board candidates — incumbents James Van Arsdale and Dan Lovell, and former board members Fred Cornelius and Bill Andre — discussed budget priorities, district leadership, and lingering concerns about student achievement. The event was moderated by Guy Cosentino and featured questions from The Citizen’s political reporter Robert Harding.
The proposed 2025-26 budget includes a 3.25% property tax levy increase, below the state’s 3.78% allowable cap. While Van Arsdale and Lovell defended the spending plan as responsible and necessary for maintaining educational services, Cornelius and Andre criticized the district’s sizable fund balance, arguing that residents are being overtaxed in tough economic times.
“We should only ask the community for what we truly need,” Cornelius said, citing the district’s reserve funds as evidence that deeper cuts could have been made.
Board incumbents pointed to successes such as the expansion of music and STEM programming, hiring of a new superintendent, and long-overdue investments in building repairs. Lovell emphasized that major infrastructure work remains urgent, noting the district’s aging facilities and ongoing efforts to develop a comprehensive capital improvement plan.
However, critics voiced concerns about staff turnover and administrative decisions. Andre, a former longtime board member, blasted the board’s choice of superintendent, saying internal candidates were overlooked and morale has since declined. “Students are going to pay the price if we don’t fix this,” he warned.
The candidates agreed on the broader financial pressures facing the district. All expressed frustration with decades of underfunding from the state’s foundation aid formula and warned that potential federal education cuts under a future Trump administration could further strain budgets.
On student outcomes, particularly the district’s 76% graduation rate — well below the state average of 86% — candidates cited chronic absenteeism as the central challenge. Several praised efforts to create more engaging school programs, like expanded music classes and summer school opportunities, to improve student attendance and success.
The forum also highlighted Auburn’s early adoption of a “bell-to-bell” cell phone ban, which candidates generally praised as a positive step toward reducing distractions and behavioral issues in schools.
Voters will decide the fate of the school budget, air handling referendum, and choose board members when polls open on May 20 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Auburn Junior High School, Casey Park Elementary, Owasco Elementary, and Seward Elementary.
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