"We're in the end game now."

Dr. Stephen Strange

Whether you're talking about the first generation of Avengers movies, Game Of Thrones , a relentless 10-week stretch of March weather or the 2018-2019 school year, everything around us, it seems, is wrapping up. But before we can move on to the new big thing on the big screen or pack up our kids' cubbies and head to the beach, there are still a few important items on our parental checklist.

Like Tuesday.

On Tuesday, May 21st, our community gets its annual opportunity to vote on the 2019-2020 School Budget and on two candidates to serve as School Board trustees. Registered voters can vote at their local elementary school from 7:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. That means there's time to go before or after work, before or after dropoff or pickup, before or after errands or ballgames or music lessons . . . even before or after the Kindergarten Orientation meetings that will be going on inside all four elementary schools that night.

Thankfully, it seems our community is on a roll in terms of making time to vote, rallying to the polls in recent years. The last two school budgets passed with solid support, as did the Capital Improvement Bond back in February. An d those increased turnouts came in override years, when a minimum "Yes" vote of 60% was required for the budgets to pass. 

There is no override this year. In fact, there's barely an increase from last year's budget to the one proposed for the 2019-2020 school year. The 0.93% Tax Levy increase is right at the state-mandated cap, it's the second-lowest among the 35 schools whose budget information was included last month's report from the Westchester Putnam School Board Association .

The Board of Education adopted the Superintendent's Recommended Budget on April 9th. Since then, the PTA memberships at all six schools in our district recently voted to endorse the proposed budget. SEPTA and PT Council also have endorsed the budget.

You can see for yourself what you think of the budget by scouring the information available on  the District website . Much like Avengers: Endgame  and the GOT  finale, school budgets are much easier to follow when you know what's going on.