East Meadow's budget passes; district welcomes three new board members

      The East Meadow School District's $157 million budget was approved by voters on Tuesday night by 63 percent - with 2,447 yes votes to 1,409 no votes, a difference of 1,038.
      The budget, which was adopted by the Board of Education on April 12, calls for a tax levy increase of 3.9 percent, a school tax increase of $178 for the average homeowner.
      Incumbent Trustee Joe Parisi lost his bid for re-election to Peggy McQuade-Kaplan, a New York city teacher, who was elected to the board of education by 1,747 votes. Parisi received 1,601, while David Rosenberg, a software designer, who was also running for the seat, received 371 votes.
      The two vacant trustee seats left by Debra Kirsh and Barry Rubinstein were won by running mates Steven Jacobs and Abby Rothschild-Kaplan. Jacobs defeated opponent Dona Davis by 295 votes - Jacobs received 1,941 votes and Davis received 1,646.       Rothschild-Kaplan beat her opponent, Steven Wallstedt, by 298 votes. She received 1,915 votes, while Wallstedt received 1,617.