By Dana Williams
Residents in the Malverne and West Hempstead school districts voted to approve their district's 2009-10 budgets on Tuesday, with both spending plans passing by wide-margins.
The majority of voters in District 12 said "yes" to the school board's proposed $44.7 million spending plan for next school year. Out of the 1,371 residents who voted, 862 opted to support the budget. Under the budget, the average homeowner will pay an estimated $257 more in taxes next year. The $1.18 million tax levy increase, however, is the lowest that District 12 has had in 12 years.
Voters also approved the Proposition 2 proposal on the budget ballot, which will allow the district to establish a $5 million Capital Reserve Fund. The final tally was 750 in favor and 418 opposed. School officials plan to use the money in the fund to pay for capital projects such as repairs, upgrades and refurbishments to buildings and facilities in the district.
Incumbent trustees Gina Genti and Danielle Hopkins were also re-elected to serve on the district's school board for four-year terms. Genti defeated her challenger Ronica Ebron, 934 to 481, and Hopkins defeated her opponent Lynn Singleton, 779 to 612.
West Hempstead
In the West Hempstead School District, the majority of voters gave the district's $52.6 million spending plan a thumbs up. The final tally was 914 in favor and 438 opposed. The district's tax levy for next year will be $36.8 million, or 3.99 percent more than the current year. The budget, which is the same amount as the current budget, calls for the average homeowner to pitch in about $220 more in school taxes next year.
Voters also re-elected residents James Mariano and Carole Rilling to serve their sixth three-year term on district's Board of Education. Mariano, who ran unopposed, received 834 votes, and Rilling defeated her challenger Rudolf Schindler, 728 to 555.
Comments about this story? DWilliams@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.
