By Jerry Burke
Franklin Square's $27,569,865 proposal, a 7.2 percent jump over the current year, failed by a vote of 1,034 to 945. Last year's $25.7 million budget passed by a razor-thin margin of 7 votes, 786 to 779.
Franklin Square Superintendent Dr. Timothy Lafferty was unavailable for comment, but the district's administrative staff expressed disappointment that the budget was voted down. The school board was scheduled to meet Wednesday night to decide whether to present the same proposal for a revote in June or to trim the budget down.
If the proposal were to be defeated again, the district would be forced to operate on a contingency budget. The district can also choose to forgo a revote and operate on contingency, which would allow an increase of no more than 3.24 percent, or about $830,000, nearly $1 million less than this year's budget had asked for.
In the three-way race for a seat in the Franklin Square school district, voters had their choice of incumbent Jean Fichtl or challengers Margaret Murphy and Russell Hanson. Fichtl won comfortably, with 835 votes, with Murphy coming in a strong second with 631 vote. Hanson received 305 votes.
For the second time in as many years, Valley Stream District 13 voters shot down a proposed budget, this one totaling $34.3 million, a 9.33 percent -- or $2.9 million -- increase over the current budget, with 1,349 opposed and 1,219 in favor. Last year's double-digit increase in the tax levy paved the way for a 1,077-to-1,030 defeat.
"We're very disappointed," said Dr. Elizabeth Lison, District 13 superintendent. "We believe that we put forth a reasonable budget -- one that would allow our programs to continue and meet all of our children's needs."
District administrators and the Board of Education will meet May 24 to discuss whether to present the same budget to residents for a revote, or reduce it. A revote would take place in June. If forced onto a contingency budget, the district would have to make $1.6 million in cuts.
Debra Evans beat out Joseph DiSibio for the contested board seat by 9-vote margin, 1,002 to 993. Evans will replace Dr. Marie Connelly, who opted not to seek re-election after two years on the board. "I am very pleased that the residents of District 13 feel that I would be a good [board member]," Evans said. "I want them all to know that I'm going to work very hard to be a good steward of our students' education and their financial issues."
In the uncontested races in District 13, Dr. Frank Chiachiere and Cathy Subbiondo were each re-elected to a three-year term, with 1,682 and 1,530 votes, respectively.
The Elmont budget, set at $58,023,082, a 5.54 percent increase over the current year and including a 5.67 increase in the tax levy, passed easily by a vote of 1,262 to 827. Uncontested seats went to incumbent Aubrey Phillips and newcomer Elsy Mecklembourg Guibert, who lost out on a seat for the school board by a single vote last year.
Sewanhaka's proposed $126,501,634 budget, a 6.84 percent increase that included a 6.2 percent increase in the tax levy, passed by a comfortable 4,186-to-3,802 margin. Learning from last year's 2,892-to-2,495 defeat, Sewanhaka held the line on spending increases, a move that seemed to pay off. "We're very excited to have the support of the community," said Sewanhaka Superintendent Dr. John Williams, who was a frequent guest at local chamber and civic meetings in the months leading up to the budget vote.
The Sewanhaka budget passed despite the fact that two of the four elementary districts comprising the high school district -- Franklin Square and New Hyde Park-Garden City Park -- voted down their respective budgets. Both Elmont and Floral Park-Bellrose, whose budget sailed to a 1,646-to-870 victory, strongly supported the Sewanhaka budget.
John O'Donoghue of Floral Park-Bellrose and Robert Nugent and incumbent Patricia Rudd of New Hyde Park-Garden City Park all ran unopposed for three-year seats.
The Valley Stream Central High School District's $81.9 million budget squeaked by with a 2,242-to-2,206 victory. District 13 voters cast 1,369 votes, or 53.8 percent of the ballots, against the Central High School District budget, but thanks to overwhelming support in District 30 and marginal support in District 24, the $81.9 million high school budget -- a 7.8 percent increase over the current budget -- passed.
"It's very interesting that people [in District 13] voted down the high school budget when it was a savings from the year before," Lison said. "That tells me that people are probably angry about what happened in the district the last couple of years."
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Bigger turnout, mixed results
A comparison of this year's budget vote to last year's.
2004-05 school budget results:
Elmont School District
*Pass 935
Fail 817
Franklin Square School District
*Pass 786
Fail 779
Sewanhaka Central High School District
Pass 2,495
*Fail 2,892
VS Central High School District
*Pass 2,046
Fail 1,824
Valley Stream District 13
Pass 1,030
*Fail 1,077
2005-06 school budget results:
Elmont School District
*Pass 1,262
Fail 827
Franklin Square School District
Pass 945
*Fail 1,034
Sewanhaka Central High School District
*Pass 4,186
Fail 3,802
VS Central High School District
*Pass 2,242
Fail 2,206
Valley Stream District 13
Pass 1,219
*Fail 1,349
