By: MIKE CAPUTO
Five Towns voters passed the Hewlett-Woodmere and Lawrence school district budgets on Tuesday.
With a vote count on Tuesday that was 10 percent smaller than last year, residents of Hewlett-Woodmere passed District 14's $94.5 million budget - an increase of roughly 5.8 percent over the current spending plan - with 1,680 in favor and 1,380 opposed.
Proposition II, a referendum to authorize District 14 to utilize reserve funds for a technology plan, passed with 1,811 in favor and 1,171 against. Proposition III, establishing a reserve fund for future athletic facility repairs, was also approved, 1,747 to 1,167.
Despite the narrow passage of the budget, which was decided by only 300 votes, Superintendent Dr. Les Omotani appeared encouraged by the results during a difficult economic period.
"We provided the community with a very responsive and positive budget in very demanding financial times," Omotani said. "We believe that the tone in our community is one that continues to support collaboration and involvement of all members of our community in the work and life of our schools."
"We are very appreciative of the community's support for the school system by continuing to provide outstanding educational opportunities to our students and our entire community of learners," the superintendent added. In his statement, Omotani also thanked the PTA, the Hewlett-Woodmere Civic Action Committee and all of the district's stakeholders.
Incumbents Howard Weinick and Teena Ditchek Korman ran away with victories in the Hewlett-Woodmere school board race. Ditchek Korman, vying for her third term on the board, garnered the most votes, with 1,907, while Weinick was re-elected to a sixth term with 1,896. The challenger, Fred Usherson, received 689 votes.
In a concession speech released to the media, Usherson talked the importance of communicating his message to the community. Usherson later added that he was proud to attain 689 votes, and hinted at a possible campaign in 2009.
"If the ideas within my candidacy have created awareness among the school board and district leadership that we could and should be doing more for our children, then our children win, and ultimately, we've all won," Usherson said as part of a released statement. "I am not discouraged by these election results; in fact, this election had made me even more passionate to continue my vision for our schools and this campaign next year. I want to congratulate both Mrs. Ditchek Korman and Mr. Weinick on their election victories."
Lawrence
Lawrence's $95.4 million spending plan, which is about 3 percent larger than the current budget but includes no increase in the tax levy, passed convincingly, with 2,638 votes in favor and 494 opposed.
This is the second year in a row that a budget has passed in District 15. In 2007, voters approved a spending plan with an increase of less than 1 percent.
"I believe the proof is now in the pudding that the community has come out and overwhelmingly supported the efforts of this board," said Murray Forman, Lawrence school board president.
The Lawrence school district operated under austerity budgets from 2003 to 2007.
Proposition III, a $16 million district-wide capital improvement project, passed with 2,227 yes votes and 576 no's. Proposition IV, a $1 million proposal to install a synthetic-turf field at Lawrence High School, was also approved, 2,058 to 952.
Peninsula Public Library's $2.6 million budget -- Proposition II -- passed easily, 2,580 to 390.
As results were being tabulated on Tuesday night into the early morning hours, one school board member expressed a level of concern that a low voter turnout, spurred by an uncontested election, may have had an impact on the $16 million capital project. That school board member, Uri Kaufman, led the planning process behind the referendum, which was initially expected to cost almost the entire $30 million tax reserve fund.
Instead, the voters approved a capital project that will require $16 million from that reserve fund, which consists of the proceeds from the Number One School sale. When the numbers rolled in shortly after midnight, Kaufman was seemingly relieved, and more than pleased with the results.
"A big part of why it passed, is the community understood that they are really getting the biggest bang for the buck," said Kaufman. "We are getting more for the $16 million than we would have gotten with the $30 million, I am positive of that, and I think the public understood that."
As expected, Murray Forman and Dr. Asher Mansdorf secured seats on the Lawrence Board of Education in an uncontested election. Mansdorf, who garnered 2,375 votes, returns to the school board for a third term after a one-year retirement. It will be the second term for Forman, the board's current president, who collected 2,265 votes.
Tabulating a number of write-in votes cast against the uncontested candidates did delay the final results until after midnight on Wednesday morning.
According to school officials, an approximate total of 220 write-in votes were cast against Mansdorf and Forman. There were 11 names written in, including former school board member Pamela Greenbaum (82) and former candidate Andrew Levey (31), officials said.
Comments about this story? MCaputo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
