Raymond Pignone is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media voters in the Taconic Hills School District will be asked next week to ratify a proposed $38.9 million district budget for the 2021-22 school year. The spending plan reflects a 2.21 percent spending increase. In addition to the budget, voters will be asked to approve two special propositions. The first would authorize the purchase of two full-size buses at a maximum total cost of $254,000, plus the remainder of the unallocated fund balance. The second seeks authorization to establish the “Capital Reserve Fund No. 2” of up to $5 million to finance the cost of capital improvements including general renovations to school property. Voters will also choose two new members of the school board. The three candidates running are Linda Lee, and incumbents Bonnie Torchia and William J. Arp. Arp has been a resident of Claverack for 11 years and has one son. He is a 30- year veteran of law enforcement and is an officer with the New York state Park Police. He currently serves on the board’s audit and contract negotiations committees. Lee is a resident of Hillsdale, where she has lived for three years. She is an author and editor and currently works as an assistant to a book agent in Hudson. Torchia is a 25-year resident of Claverack. She has two daughters and works as a social media coordinator/organizer. She has been a member of the board for six years and served as its president for 2 1/2 years. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.