ELDRED - At a special meeting of the Eldred Central School Board of Education on May 21, Superintendent Dr. John Morgano announced his resignation, effective August 15, 2018.

In his resignation letter he stated, “On a personal note I have enjoyed the students, they are well-mannered.” He continued, “Eldred can recover if the plans laid out during my tenure with the district are followed. I wish you well.”

During public comment there was applause and a standing ovation for Morgano. The board accepted his resignation.

Morgano served as interim superintendent beginning in October 2017 and was officially appointed in February of this year. His contract was for a four-and-a-half year period.

Morgano was appointed superintendent amid Eldred's financial crisis. The Eldred Central School District is said to be in significant fiscal stress according to a report released on January 25 by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

Rescheduled Vote

Also at the meeting, the board passed a resolution to hold a re-vote of their school budget. The election, originally held on May 15, had been cancelled due to the severe storm that hit the area.

Eldred was particularly hard-hit and the school lost power when the storm blew through at around 3:30 p.m. Superintendent Morgano made the call to suspend the vote.

The rescheduled vote will take place on Tuesday, June 19 at the Eldred High School from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Those who cast their votes on the original election date will have to vote again on June 19.

The ballot remains the same: the school budget, school board members, and the library contribution. Voters will decide whether or not to accept the budget of $16,848,150, which represents a 3.04 percent tax increase, as well as funding the Sunshine Hall Free Library in the amount of $14,790.

There is one seat open on the school board and three candidates are running for that seat. They are Scott Hallock, Peter D. Carmeci Sr. and John Tice. A meet-the-candidates forum was held at the George Ross Mackenzie Elementary School on May 3.