East Meadow's budget passes; De Luca, Talluto elected to board of education

The East Meadow community has voted to approve a $251.5 million budget for the 2024-25 school year in the East Meadow Union Free School District. The spending plan is $13 million larger than the current school year’s budget.

2,518 voters approved the budget.

Its approval means the district can direct more funding towards its special education students, as well as see through several capital improvement projects.

During the budget planning progress, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Patrick Pizzo told the Herald that the district was facing some challenges, and considered tapping into its capital reserves in order to make ends meet. Thanks to assistance from New York state, the district was able to finalize its budget without doing so.

When school districts create a budget for a school year, he added it’s important to look years ahead, to see how changes implemented will affect future school years.

“I think we really set ourselves up for being in a good place two or three years down the road,” Pizzo said.

On the board of education, educators Nikole De Luca and Maria Talluto were both elected to the board of education, earning 1,920 and 2,002 votes respectively. They beat incumbent board of education Vice President Eileen Napolitano and first-time candidate Dr. Razia Jayman-Aristide.

De Luca campaigned on a platform that focused on areas of improvement for the district. A teacher, she wants to use her knowledge about education to benefit the board.

“I hope to use my background to be able to have a seat at the table when policies are made,” she said.

Talluto said as a taxpayer, wife, mother and teacher, she’s qualified for a role on the board.

“I feel that my priorities and beliefs are aligned with the community members of East Meadow.”