By Mike Russo
The library budget passed, with 1,868 yes votes and 1,315 no's. In addition, Diana DeVito and Al Semonella were elected to the school board.
The $171.4 million school spending plan is 4.3 percent larger than the current budget, and increases the tax levy by 4.7 percent. According to the school district's Web site, the budget addresses increases in the cost of utilities such as fuel, oil and electricity, contractual obligations, health insurance premiums as well as the district's operational costs. The tax levy increase, originally expected to be above 6 percent, was lower thanks to $40.7 million in state aid to the district. The budget maintains all current instructional and co-curricular programs.
"We are very, very grateful that the community overwhelmingly supported the school budget," said Superintendent Leon Campo. "In spite of the heavy tax burden that residents bear, they overwhelmingly supported the school budget, which will accrue to the betterment of the entire East Meadow community."
In addition to rising utility costs, the budget also covers an increase in instructional salaries, which account for 40 percent of the total expenditures. Last September, the East Meadow Teachers Association reached an agreement with the school district on a six-year contract, which provides them with steady raises until 2010 and retroactive pay increases for 2005-06 and 2006-07.
DeVito, a resident of East Meadow for nine years, said that she ran for a seat on the board because she feels that the district leadership has not been supporting individual school administrators and teachers with a strong instructional focus, and has not fostered a climate of collaboration with the teachers' association, parents and community members. She is currently a school administrator at the New York City Department of Education.
"The role of the school board is to review and monitor all of the decisions that have to be made that impact on instruction in the classroom, and the only way to do that is through shared decision making and collaboration," said DeVito at a candidates forum earlier this month.
Semonella, a lifelong resident, said that he ran because he loves the community and the children and has a passion to give back. He is currently a clerk at the Oceanside Post Office.
"The public needs to have a forum to deal with problems and issues that come up, and that's where the school board comes in," said Semonella at this month's gathering of candidates.
The defeated candidates, Paul Stargot, Lenny Volpe and Wayne Soodek, were not without resident support, as indicated by strong voter turnout for each of them. "I gave it my best shot, and I'm glad the budget passed," said Soodek. "I hope the board doesn't forget about the special ed. kids in the district."
"I'm glad that the budget passed and that we, the candidates, did our best," said Stargot.
"I'm happy the budget passed, and I'm disappointed that I did not win," said Volpe. "I wish the best of luck to Al Semonella and Diana DeVito." He added that he would not rule out the possibility of running for the board in the future.
The library budget passed by a margin of 1,868 to 1,297. According to Jude Schanzer, the facility's director of public relations and programming, the library is considered the best and busiest in Nassau County, and an approved budget helps create programs and sustain the quality of the facility. "I am now writing grants to do next year's programming to supplement my budget," said Schanzer. "Our Sunday Series for 2008-09 is a rather ambitious slate of performers. Without the budget passing, I would not have a prayer in achieving this."
Comments about this story? MRusso@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
