School budget votes: Jamestown's approved easily, Bemus Point's is defeated by 12 votes...

With no tax increase... and, no teacher lay-offs... the Jamestown School District budget was approved overwhelmingly Tuesday by a 5-to-1 margin.  The tally was 320-to-68 in a low voter turn-out on the $75.3-million spending plan.  Voters also approved a $795,000 bus proposition... and, re-elected Joe DiMaio and Patrick Slagle to the school board.

For the most part... all other budgets in southern and central Chautauqua County were approved by wide margins... except in a couple of cases.  However... the $13.1-million dollar budget in Bemus Point was defeated by 12 votes.  District officials say the vote was 215 in favor... 227 against.  There is no word on what district officials will do in the wake of the defeat.  However... a bus proposition was approved, 251-to-193.  Barry Swanson and Lisa Allenson were voted onto the school board uncontested.

At Southwestern... new superintendent Maureen Donahue sees her first budget plan approved by the voters by a better than 2-to-1 margin.  The $25.8-million spending plan was passed, 324-to-126.  A companion bus proposition was also adopted by more than 200 votes.

Budgets were also adopted in the Cassadaga Valley, Falconer, Frewsburg, Panama, Pine Valley, Clymer, Brocton, Westfield, Ripley, Sherman, and Chautauqua Lake School Districts.