Hewlett-Woodmere, Lawrence school budgets pass with voter approval

Both the Hewlett-Woodmere and Lawrence school district’s 2026-27 school year budgets passed at the annual vote, on May 19.

The Hewlett-Woodmere Public School District’s proposed budget of $149.9 million passed 1200-799.

This year’s estimated tax levy is 2.61 percent.

The school’s budget increased by 4.8 percent from last year’s $143.08 million.

Along with the school’s budget, 1270 voters out of 1,983 approved proposition two ¾ the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library’s budget of $6.58 million.

Board of Trustee incumbent candidates Shari Amitrano and Cheryl May were re-elected for another three-year term. Amitrano received 1270 votes and May had 1299 votes.

“We are so happy that the community came out to support us and the budget,” Amitrano and May said in a joint statement. “We are looking forward to helping our community evolve, including our curriculum instruction and our updated athletic facilities.”

In the Lawrence School District, the  $106.23 million budget passed with 1,496 votes. 

The proposed budget represents a 1.64 percent increase from the current year.

Despite the increase, district officials announced that the tax levy remains at zero percent for the 12th consecutive year, a point administrators highlighted as a continued effort to limit the financial burden on local taxpayers.

Trustee incumbents Murray Forman and Asher Mansdorf were both re-elected to serve another term with Forman at 1,524 votes and Mansdorf with 1,776.

The $3.6 million budget for the Peninsula Public Library was passed, with 1,501 votes. 

The new library trustee is Sara Isaacson, she won with 867 votes.