Gloversville school board members have no one but themselves to blame for the mess they’re in: Voters have rejected the purchase of four new school buses at a net cost to the district of just $19,000, so the district will have to spend $40,000 more to lease buses next year.

The school board angered voters this spring when it refused to cut more than $4,000 — 0.0079 percent — from a budget that had been resoundingly rejected. Instead, it arrogantly imposed a contingency budget calling for an identical 6.9 percent tax hike — with the superintendent adding insult to injury by telling voters they were lucky the board hadn’t raised the ante another $1.7 million, as state law allowed.

Whether frustrated voters rejected the bus referendum to send the school board a message, or because they didn’t know the state’s 90 percent reimbursement rate made purchase a far smarter option than leasing, it’s the board’s fault. And board members certainly didn’t help their cause by failing to convey to voters in advance that a 60 percent majority was needed for passage. What a mess!