Cheektowaga's $47.2 million budget that would have raised taxes 1.84% went down by 49 votes. Superintendent Mary Morris said the school board will send the same budget to voters this month.

"It was a conservative budget to begin with," she said.

Should the budget be defeated again, the district would have to approve a contingency budget that would cut $630,000. The tax levy on contingency budgets cannot be larger than the previous year's levy. Contingency budgets also prevent districts from buying equipment and the public use of school buildings except when there is no cost to the district.