Voters in four north country school districts — two in Jefferson County and two in St. Lawrence County — rejected proposed 2008-09 budgets.

The budget and three propositions put to Carthage voters Tuesday were overwhelmingly defeated and all three Board of Education incumbents were voted out of their seats in the region's largest signal of discontent.

Carthage Central's $49,942,629 budget was defeated 1,849 to 294.

The second proposition, which included the purchase of 13 new buses, was defeated 1,487 to 603, and the third proposition, which included increases in spending for the local libraries, was voted down 1,379 to 716.

William Sochia won the third position on the Board of Education with 1,020 votes. He beat incumbent Lori V. Habermann, who received 420 votes, and Thomas Wojcikowski, who received 436 votes.

Michael Chevier won the fourth position, 1,223 to 559, defeating incumbent Paul C. Marolf.

Mary Louise Hunt won the fifth position 1,195 to 666, beating incumbent Tina Soukup.

The district has been under fire since a 9.8 percent tax levy increase and 21 jobs cuts were announced in early April.

Six local municipal leaders wrote two letters to the district outlining their concerns for the taxpayers.

After two closed-door meetings among the six local leaders and school district officials, the tax levy increase was dropped to 6.8 percent, which district Superintendent Carl H. Militello said would be reflected when the tax rate is set in August.

"Our concerns were genuine and the taxpayers' concerns were shown in the vote," West Carthage Mayor Scott M. Burto said Tuesday night. "I hope it's enough for the board members to go back and propose another budget in June and not just adopt a contingency budget. If these results are not enough to make them go back to work and make changes, then I don't know what would be. I hope the school board listens to the taxpayers for once."

Mr. Militello said Tuesday night he was encouraged that so many people took part in the voting process.

"Obviously, the vote is very decisive," he said. "I want to congratulate the board winners and thank those who have given their service for many, many years."

Mr. Militello said the Board of Education will meet in executive session Thursday to decide whether to adopt a contingency budget or to reduce the budget and put it back to public vote. Budget discussions, under the state's Open Meetings Law, must be open to the public.

He also said the budget process next year will be very different.

"We will send the community leaders the schedule of budget hearings in January and we will have an educational forum so everyone can understand the budget," Mr. Militello said. "We will obviously work on the process and get it right before we go through this again."

Budgets also failed at Norwood-Norfolk Central, Potsdam Central and Lyme Central schools.

Voters rejected Potsdam Central School's $26.3 million budget, 300-286. Superintendent Patrick H. Brady said recent property revaluations in the district may have played a role. He also said some polls cited a worsening economy and high gas prices as reasons for turning down the budget, which included an 8.8 percent increase.

"These are difficult economic times. The community members were faced with rising property assessments in the recent revaluation, and I think with the lower-than-normal voter turnout, maybe that hurt us," Mr. Brady said. "I think with the economy as it is, it made the vote that much more difficult for people this year."

The levy would have jumped to $10.4 million, a 4.1 percent increase.

"We're obviously disappointed," Mr. Brady said. "It's been relatively quiet in the community, in terms of people talking about the school budget. We had voters fill out a short survey, and we'll be poring over those to see if we can find a common theme of why they voted it down."

A proposition to purchase two 65-passenger buses at a cost of $192,000 passed, 158-21.

Three-year Board of Education seats went to incumbents Mary Ashley Carroll and Ann M. Carvill, who received 317 and 357 votes, respectively. Christopher C. Cowen also was elected, with 367 votes.

Norwood-Norfolk Central School voters turned down the $19 million budget, 278-268. The proposed budget was a 10 percent increase, and the proposed levy was a 5.3 percent increase, to $5.6 million.

Elizabeth A. Kirnie, superintendent of the Norwood-Norfolk Central School District, did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday night.

A proposition to allow the appointment of a student representative, who would have no voting authority, to the Board of Education passed 265-180. Voters also approved, 330-233, the purchase of a 60-passenger bus at a cost of $90,985 and a 29-passenger bus at a cost of $47,500, both to be paid for through a five-year bond.

In the race for three three-year board seats, the top vote-getter was Lisa R. Levison with 384 votes. She was followed by Sheila A. Burns and incumbent David Flint, with 334 and 236 votes, respectively.

At Lyme Central School, Chaumont, voters defeated the budget 157-151. The proposed budget was a 4 percent increase, to $6.4 million, and the levy was a 2 percent increase, to $3.1 million.

"We're just in shock," Superintendent Donalee K. Dodson said. She said the board will have to decide whether it wants to resubmit the same budget to the voters, change it and submit that to the voters or go to a contingency budget. "I have no idea what we'll do," she said.

The budget defeat comes on the heels of the voters' rousing rejection in April of a proposed $11.5 million renovation project, a plan that was defeated 339-126. The apparent chief sticking point in the proposed work was a new 400-seat auditorium and a gymnasium expansion.

Voters approved a proposition to buy a Suburban with a detachable snowplow, which would cost $36,594 .

Board member Donna Stevenson, who ran unopposed, received 208 votes for a five-year term. There were 19 write-in votes.