Edgemont school budget passes

I have been told that the budget passed by a margin of 1599 in favor to 717 opposed (and 19 contested ballots). (My undocumented prediction had been that the budget would pass by 200 to 300 votes. So much for my prognostication talent.)

You may recall the numbers from the May 17 budget defeat: 535 in favor to 542 opposed.

With far more publicity, letters and the like this time, the no vote went up by 32% while the yes vote increased by 199%. Seems the silent majority in Edgemont were for the budget.

If the informal conversations I had are representative, many folks stayed home the first time on the assumption that the vote would pass, but went to the polls when it turned out their votes might matter.

Several take-aways:

• The school board needs to get its act together on communicating effectively with the public the first time round.
  
• The board should assume that even if nobody shows up at budget meetings to lobby for lower spending and taxes, there is an implicit and always-present community need to keep spending and taxes as low as possible, consistent with a world-class education.
  
• To be effective, residents who want to ensure fiscally responsible budgets should speak loudly and firmly during the budgeting process. This is likely to be far more effective--and constructive--than speaking out during the voting process.
  
• When it matters, Edgemont residents will vote for the schools.

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Update (June 16, 11 p.m.): The Edgemont web site is running the headline "Budget passes!" with unofficial numbers. The numbers on the site may contain a typo. They read 1799 yes, 717 no, 19 contested. I think the 1799 is supposed to be 1599 (which would be in accord with two sources who were at the school for the reading of the results).As of the 9:40 a.m. on June 17, the numbers on the Edgemont site jibe with mine.