By: Andrew Hackmack
Valley Stream voters responded favorably to lower than average tax increases, approving all four budgets on Tuesday night.
The Central High School District's $99.5 million spending plan, which carries a 1.98 percent tax levy increase, won approval with 1,873 yes votes to 1,374 no votes. "We're very pleased and satisfied that the community has approved the budget," Board of Education President Jeanne Greco Jacobs said. "We worked hard to propose a budget that would be fair to the community and maintain our excellent standard of education."
A proposition to spend $1.7 million in capital reserve funds for various repair projects was also approved, 1,885 to 1,314.
District 13 voters gave the OK to the $40.9 million budget, 1,156 to 712. However, for the second consecutive years, a proposition to increase transportation eligibility was turned down. This proposal, put on the ballot through a resident petition, received 1,106 no votes to just 862 yes votes.
There were three candidates for three board seats. Greco Jacobs and Bill Stris won three-year seats while Joan Gartner was elected to fill a vacancy for the next year.
District 30 had the only contested school board race in Valley Stream. Carolyn Pean won the seat with 297 votes, besting Jim Lavery who received 221 votes. Both were vying for the seat being vacated by Theodora Egbuchulam. Pean wins a five-year term.
The budget there was approved with 439 saying yes to 262 no votes. A pair of capital reserve propositions also passed.
Board President Ken Cummings thanked voters for approving the $30.6 million spending plan. "I think it is a great budget," he said. "It is sound financially and maintains programs for the children of the district, and in some instances, made it better."
District 24's budget, at $26.2 million, passed 504-286. Donna LaRocco, the lone candidate for school board, received 606 votes. Because the seat she was vying for was vacant, LaRocco was sworn in Tuesday night and will have a full three-year term.
Board of Education President Paul DePace thanked the administrators for putting together a good budget this year and the community for approving it. He said he can only think of one time since the early 1980s when the budget went down. "The public's been very good in supporting our programs," he said.
Comments about this story? AHackmack@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 265
