By JUDY RATTNER
Budgets, EXCEL pass; Horace, Kriss in
By JUDY RATTNER
Rockville Centre School District voters have approved the school spending plan. In official results Wednesday morning, the $88.3 million budget passed with 1,620 votes; 1,255 residents voted against it.
District residents also authorized the school district to utilize EXCEL state aid for capital improvements at no cost to taxpayers, by a margin of 1,909 votes to 910.
Kathy Horace was re-elected to the school board with 1,785 votes. And newcomer Stephen Kriss will get a three-year term on the board as well, having garnered 1,803 votes.
The library' s budget of nearly $3 million also passed, by a margin of 1,780 yes votes to 1,013 no's. And library trustee Bill Murray was returned to another term with 1,870 votes.
"It's all about balancing quality and reasonable costs," said school Superintendent Dr. William Johnson. "I think the voters recognize that the Board of Education did exactly that, and the voters came out in large numbers to support it. My thanks to all the voters."
Horace said, "I'm thrilled and very excited that the budgets passed and that the proposition for EXCEL passed as well."
And Steve Kriss said, "I very much look forward to being a good listener and to representing all of the taxpayers. I'm happy and pleased and thank everybody for their support."
District officials reported that 2,923 voters turned out Tuesday and returned absentee ballots, down from the 3,460 who voted last year and 4,530 in 2006, possibly because of the heavy rain during much of the afternoon.
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