Read or listen to Berne-Knox-Westerlo Board of Education incumbent Kimberly Lovell’s responses to questions from The Enterprise about the school’s budget; the relationship between a school board, district superintendent, and taxpayers; and what issues will be most critical to the district in the next three years.

Read or listen to Berne-Knox-Westerlo Board of Education incumbent Nathan Elble’s responses to questions from The Enterprise about the school’s budget; the relationship between a school board, district superintendent, and taxpayers; and what issues will be most critical to the district in the next three years.

As they each seek re-election to the Berne-Knox-Westerlo Board of Education unchallenged, Nathan Elble and Kimberly Lovell spoke with The Enterprise about their views on the school’s budget; the relationship between a school board, district superintendent, and taxpayers; and what issues will be most critical to the district in the next three years. 

Although the coronavirus has created a lapse in funding for Westerlo’s Comprehensive Plan Committee, Supervisor William Bichteman said that budget transfers will ensure that the $5,000 lost in grant money the state has put on hold will get to the committee with town funds.

Westerlo Supervisor William Bichteman laid out a worst-case-scenario fiscal plan Tuesday that would see the 2021 tax levy increase anywhere from 10- to 15-percent. Bichteman stressed that the scenario was projected using “best-guess” budgeting based on a lack of information regarding sales-tax revenue from higher levels of government and that the probabilities are almost entirely unknown, but that he wants to start having the conversation before it’s too late.

HILLTOWNS — An 8-year-old Westerlo boy was killed Sunday morning, May 17, in an accident involving a bulldozer and an ATV in Berne, Patrol Station Commander J.T. Campbell of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office told The Enterprise.

In the midst of questions and controversies surrounding the Berne Planning Board in the past four months, Councilman Mathew Harris says it may not exist in the first place.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo’s senior planning committee is looking at other venues for the school’s graduation ceremony, typically held at The Egg in Albany,  that will accommodate social-distancing guidelines while allowing students a meaningful send-off. 

The Berne-Knox-Westerlo Board of Education voted this week, 5 to 0, to accept Superintendent Timothy Mundell’s proposed $23.4 million budget.