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Greenville Central school-board candidates debate following state mandates, including electric-bus rule
Summary
At a Greenville Central School District candidates forum, candidates said the board must follow state mandates while pushing elected officials for changes, noting officials warned districts could lose transportation aid if they fail to adopt the state electric-bus requirement.
At a Greenville Central School District candidates forum, candidates confronted how the board should respond to state mandates — including a state requirement to purchase electric school buses — and what trade-offs compliance could mean for local budgets.
Karen, a candidate, framed the tension between legal duty and conscience: "Each member of the board takes an oath of the constitution US and state. So we are obligated to work within that," she said, adding that board members should "state it clearly" and hold to their convictions when a mandate conflicts with local concerns.
Kelly, another candidate, said she would not recommend refusing to follow a mandate but urged advocacy to change state policy. "Lobbying is a huge way to reach people who we elect," Kelly said, and described contacting representatives in Albany and at the state level to press for changes. She told the forum that representatives from state education and NAERTA had told districts they could "lose your transportation aid" if they did not comply with the electric-bus requirement.
Patrick and other candidates emphasized compliance paired with collective advocacy. One candidate warned that rejecting mandates could risk roughly $16 million in aid for the district, a loss that would shift costs to local taxpayers. Candidates repeatedly urged community-level advocacy, coordinated letters or statements from boards, and working with legislators rather than unilateral defiance.
The exchange focused on process as much as policy: candidates urged careful review of the exact language in mandates before deciding how to act, and many said the district should use its voice to seek legislative relief while complying with current law to avoid harming students and district finances.
Why it matters: The state electric-bus mandate and any related loss of transportation aid would affect bus fleets, capital planning and operating budgets. Candidates framed the choice as one between immediate legal risk to funding and longer-term advocacy to change state requirements.
What—omes next: Forum participants urged voters to weigh candidates position on mandates. Candidates also emphasized turnout for the May 19 election and said they would pursue both compliance and state-level lobbying if elected.
